When Celebrating Goes Wrong
As we start making up for lost time after the long bar-drought brought by recent circumstances, it’s a time to celebrate. It’s also a time to be reminded of the dangers of binge drinking, since it looks like findings suggest a link between the pandemic and increased binge drinking.
As a server or bartender who is BASSET certified, looking out for customers who may be binge drinking is part of your skill set. First things first – what is binge drinking? For men, it’s is having five or more drinks over the course of two-hours. For women, it’s four or more drinks over two-hours. As soon as you see signs that a customer is over-indulging, it’s time to stop serving or selling. Not only will you be managing your own liability risks, you’ll be helping your customers in more ways than they could know. Binge drinking is correlated with a number of hazards to those who do it:
Chronic Disease
According to the CDC, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and liver disease are all associated with binge drinking. The body simply isn’t made to process those amounts of alcohol, and it takes a measurable toll on the most essential organs. While binge drinking is more common in younger people, these correlated risks suggest that binge drinking, even in younger years, can have an effect on life expectancy. That’s no minor matter.
Immediate Risks
The very real concerns about long-term impacts of binge drinking don’t mean there aren’t also immediate dangers. Binge drinking is associated with violence against others and against self, including even homicide and suicide. Because of generalized impaired judgment, it also increases the risks of sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy. And, of course, don’t forget that those who binge drink are more likely to suffer from car accidents and a host of other unintentional injuries.
Cancer
You might be surprised to learn that the CDC reports that cancer is associated with binge drinking. Long-term binge drinkers are more likely to develop cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon.
Alcoholism
Perhaps the most obvious risk associated with binge drinking is alcohol use disorder. The more a binge drinker relies on alcohol for an altered state, the more dependent the drinker may become on that escape. Once this dependence becomes entrenched, the drinker’s life quickly becomes unmanageable. We all know people whose lives have been negatively affected or destroyed by alcoholism.
Enjoying alcohol in moderation is all in good fun, but drinking that poses a harmful danger is no longer celebrating, and the dangers of binge drinking are severe.
Learn More with a BASSET Certification from BASSET On The Fly
Want to learn more about the dangers of binge drinking and how you as a server or bartender can help keep people safe? Our online BASSET certification course for seller-servers in Illinois will get you squared away quickly and efficiently. Enroll today to get your BASSET card fast for just $12.99!
Back to Blog