Characteristics of binge drinkers in europe

Abstract

This review aimed to give an overview of the factors that influence binge drinking in Europe; binge drinking was defined as ‘heavy occasional intake’. The search strategy was restricted to European articles in English, French and German published since 1995; the final paper was based on 358 articles. Heterogeneity of definitions for binge drinking made comparisons problematic. However, a variety of related socio-demographic, social and individual factors were identified. Binge drinking peaked in early adolescence or early adulthood in most countries; was more common in men than women and was influenced by socioeconomic factors. The link between early onset of drinking and problem drinking in adulthood was weak, but a family history of problem drinking increased the likelihood of adolescent binge drinking possibly triggered by genetics, environmental factors or both. Motivations for binge drinking included its social facilitating effects and its use as a coping mechanism. Binge drinkers had little knowledge of its risks or were unaware of them. Important influences on binge drinking included peer pressure – outweighing parental influences from late adolescence onwards – and the country’s drinking culture; hence it occurred more often in north and mid Europe compared with the south. The authors concluded that there is still limited knowledge regarding binge drinking in Europe, and more research needs to focus on this area.