Binge Drinking: Not the Word of Choice

Abstract

Educators and researchers strive to use terms that reflect a replicable measure of behavior. A term commonly used to describe drinking of a problematic nature is binge drinking. Binge drinking defines behavior by a number of drinks of an alcoholic beverage consumed in a space of time. The authors argue that the term does not describe drinking behavior that students believe is problematic. They claim that students define problem drinking not in terms of quantity, but rather by the outcome (and occasionally by frequency), and attribute different negative connotations to the term binge. They suggest using a term that has shared meaning with students, such as dangerous drinking, to describe the drinking behavior that results in undesirable or unintended consequences.

Key Words:

• binge drinking
• college student alcohol use
• dangerous drinking

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lisa Laitman

Fern Walter Goodhart is director, Department of Health Education at the Rutgers University Health Services, New Brunswick, New Jersey, where Linda C. Lederman and Lea P. Stewart are professors in the Department of Communication and directors, Communication and Health Issues Partnership for Education and Research; and Lisa Laitman, is director, Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program for Students (ADAPS) in the Student Health Service.