ShareWIK.com

My boss asked me to write about binge drinking and kids my age.  My first thought was: Me, a 22-year-old?  Who do I know that binge drinks? Ha!  That was a joke.  I didn’t have to think that hard about it, especially after watching my two closest friends, not a week later, both drink a pint and a half each of whiskey and then throw up the second our designated driver put the fully-loaded jeep into park.  (Thanks Scott!)

            Needless to say, I’m sure the bushes in front of my downstairs neighbor’s apartment had a nice fermented smell of regurgitated booze seeping out of them.     

            Reason:  Kelly* weighs about twenty pounds less than I do, and Nancy* has a weak stomach and a long history of gastrointestinal issues (not to mention she just had her appendix removed about a month ago).

            I asked them, if they knew their limit, why did they continue to drink past it?  The responses of, “Because I wanted to,” and, “Because I try to keep up with you and Michelle*,” were a little bit less than satisfactory.

             “You went into the night last night, knowing that you would drink too much and get sick.  You were ok with that?” I asked.  

             “Ya,” and, “Yup,” were their answers.

             I only wish I had their strength or could tolerate puking like they do.  I will do anything, let me repeat ANYTHING, not to throw up even when I’m sick.  So, if I had to go into a night of drinking knowing I was going to throw up, I think I would have to say, “Rain-check please! No, thank you.” 

I’m sure if my friends were to read this, they would say, “Rachel, I know I’ve seen your head in a toilet once or twice before, myself.  Even patted your back, eh-hem.”  

And yes, it’s true.  I’ve been down that dirt road once or twice.  The truth of the matter is, no matter how much I or anyone else would like to deny it, inadvertent peer pressure gets us all.  Kelly and Nancy both felt they had to drink every time Michelle and I did, and we didn’t even try to coerce them.  

            It's almost as if getting drunk was a highly competitive race.  Only by the time you reach the finish line, it's too blurry to cross it.  I dub this race the "Toilet Bowl". 

            According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, binge drinking can start as young as 13 and peak in the age range of 18 to 22.  They classify binge drinking as five drinks for men and four drinks for women.  These departments also discuss the correlation between binge drinking and poor class attendance, property damage, falling behind in schoolwork, and injury.

            Because it is also noted that after the age of 22, cases of binge drinking start to decline I deduce, from personal experience, that it is level of maturity and getting a job that can help this decline.  Once young adults are given more responsibility they begin to assume the role of an adult, which in turn causes them to mature.  Out of my friends, those who are in serious relationships, have jobs, and who have to provide for themselves show less signs of immaturity and substance abuse. 

            Don't let age fool you though.  There is no special button when you turn 20, 21, 35, or even 62 that autotunes your maturity level. 

            My advice to parents with kids in college is don't wait till they are in college to give them adult responsibilities.  The kids who never had real responsibilities are the ones I see struggling to transition into adulthood.  I observe them almost paralyzed by fear, retracting instead of blossoming as they should be.  A lot of parents in high school would just say, "don't drink." Period. End of story.  They never took time to teach their children how to drink responsibly.  They just closed their eyes and hoped for the best.      

            Hopefully my two friends, Kelly and Nancy, will find a way to balance their alcohol intake and their responsibilities.  Until then, I apologize to my downstairs neighbor for the coming assaults to the bushes.    

*Kelly, Michelle, and Nancy are not the real names of Rachel's friends.

Rachel Bendix is a senior at Emory University and an intern for ShareWik.com