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Binge Drinking

Indicator #13: Binge Drinking

The original established indicator is the percentage of BC students in grades 7–12 who report having engaged in binge drinking in the past 30 days. In the interest of more fully understanding binge drinking among youth, this indicator will be explored here and in future reports as two measures, specified below as Indicators 13A and 13B.

Indicator 13A: Percentage of BC students in grades 7–12 who report ever having a drink of alcohol.f

Indicator 13B: Percentage of BC students in grades 7–12 who report binge drinking (consuming five or more drinks of alcohol within a couple of hours) at least once in the past 30 days.

 

 

Jump to Figure Notes and Sources

 

Key Messages

  • Data show that alcohol is a leading contributor to injury among youth, and there is strong evidence that alcohol consumption, and especially binge drinking, is a risk factor for various negative health-related outcomes.1,2,3
  • Studies of adolescent brain development over the last decade indicate that alcohol exposure could result in behavioural and cognitive deficits.1,4
  • Research also shows that starting to consume alcohol at a younger age is highly associated with risk of drinking problems later in life, such as alcohol dependence and alcohol-related cancers.1,5
  • Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines suggest that if youth decide to drink, they should never have more than one to two drinks per occasion and never drink more than one or two times per week.6
  • On January 31, 2014, the Government of BC announced full support for all recommendations from the BC Liquor Policy Review Final Report, including Recommendation #1: "Government should expand public education about health and safety risks related to alcohol use, with particular emphasis on the harmful effects of binge drinking by youth and post-secondary students."7
  • Other recent changes in alcohol access and availability policy,8  such as liquor being available in grocery stores, may affect youth alcohol consumption behaviours, and it will be important to monitor data concerning this issue.
  • Figure 13A.1 shows that the percentage of students in grades 7–12 who report having ever tried alcohol decreased from 2003 to 2013.
  • Similarly, Figure 13B.1 shows a slightly declining trend for participation in binge drinking among students in grades 7–12 during this time period; however, it is still an important issue, with 17.3 per cent of students reporting binge drinking in the past 30 days.
  • There are geographic differences across health authorities and health service delivery areas (HSDAs) that should also be considered. For example, students in Richmond HSDA reported the lowest percentage of participation in binge drinking (10.5 per cent), while students in Kootenay Boundary HSDA reported the highest (28.2 per cent) (Figure 13B.3). 

f. "A drink of alcohol" means one standard drink: 12 oz. beer, 5 oz. wine, or 1.5 oz. hard liquor.

 

Figure Notes and Sources

Figure 13A.1

Notes: "A drink of alcohol" means one standard drink: 12 oz. beer, 5 oz. wine, or 1.5 oz. hard liquor. The differences between all years were statistically significant for all groups. The difference between sexes was not statistically significant for any years.

Data source: McCreary Centre Society, BC Adolescent Health Survey, 2003, 2008, 2013. Prepared by the Surveillance and Epidemiology Team, BC Office of the Provincial Health Officer, 2016.
 

Figure 13B.1

Notes: "Binge drinking" means having five or more drinks of alcohol within a couple of hours at least once during the previous 30 days. The differences between 2003 and 2013 and between 2008 and 2013 were statistically significant for all groups.

Data source: McCreary Centre Society, BC Adolescent Health Survey, 2003, 2008, 2013. Prepared by the Surveillance and Epidemiology Team, BC Office of the Provincial Health Officer, 2016.
 

Figure 13B.2

Notes: "Binge drinking" means having five or more drinks of alcohol within a couple of hours at least once during the previous 30 days. Health authority is based on the location of the school.

Data source: McCreary Centre Society, BC Adolescent Health Survey, 2013. Prepared by the Surveillance and Epidemiology Team, BC Office of the Provincial Health Officer, 2016.
 

Figure 13B.3

Notes: "Binge drinking" means having five or more drinks of alcohol within a couple of hours at least once during the previous 30 days. Health service delivery area is based on the location of the school.

Data source: McCreary Centre Society, BC Adolescent Health Survey, 2013. Prepared by the Surveillance and Epidemiology Team, BC Office of the Provincial Health Officer, 2016.

 

References

  1. Guerri C, Pascual M. Mechanisms involved in the neurotoxic, cognitive, and neurobehavioral effects of alcohol consumption during adolescence. Alcohol. 2010;44(1):15-26.
  2. Stolle M, Sack PM, Thomasius R. Binge drinking in childhood and adolescence: epidemiology, consequences, and interventions. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2009 May;106(19):323-8.
  3. Courtney KE, Polich J. Binge drinking in young adults: data, definitions, and determinants. Psychol Bull. 2009 Jan;135(1):142-56.
  4. Maldonado-Devincci AM, Badanich KA, Kirstein CL. Alcohol during adolescence selectively alters immediate and long-term behavior and neurochemistry. Alcohol. 2010;44(1):57-66.
  5. Grant BF, Dawson DA. Age at onset of alcohol use and its association with DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence: results from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey. J Subst Abuse. 1998;10(2):163-73.
  6. Butt P, Beirness D, Gliksman L, Paradis C, Stockwell T. Alcohol and health in Canada: a summary of evidence and guidelines for low risk drinking. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse; 2011 [cited 2016 Mar 21]. Available from: http://www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/2011-Summary-of-Evidence-and-Guid….
  7. BC Ministry of Justice. B.C. liquor policy review final report. Victoria, BC: BC Ministry of Justice; [cited 2016 Mar 21]. Available from: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/local/haveyoursay/Docs/liquor_policy_review_repor….
  8. BC Ministry of Justice. B.C. outlines balanced plan for grocery store liquor sales [Internet]. Victoria, BC: BC Ministry of Justice; 2014 Mar 6 [cited 2016 Jun 21]. Available from: https://news.gov.bc.ca/stories/bc-outlines-balanced-plan-for-grocery-st….