Alcoholic binge, bad habit of growing among teenagers

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At least five drinks, one after the other, in one evening. According to the ISTAT 2014 data, 'binge drinking' is increasingly common among Italians aged between 18 and 24: 14.5% of young people, 21% of males and 7.6% of girls.

At least five drinks, one after the other, in one evening. According to the ISTAT 2014 data, 'binge drinking' is increasingly common among Italians aged between 18 and 24: 14.5% of young people, 21% of males and 7.6% of girls.

Alcohol consumption in adolescence has been on the rise for several years at alarming rates. It is estimated that in many cases the first contact with alcoholic beverages occurs even at a very early age, less than 12 years.

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If, on the one hand, in Italy, the consumption of alcohol and wine decreases, more and more? Young people only drink to "bust". At least five drinks, one after the other, in one evening. According to the ISTAT 2014 data, ' binge drinking ' is increasingly common among Italians aged between 18 and 24: 14.5% of young people, 21% of males and 7.6% of girls.
A research funded by the Fondazione Roma and carried out by the Fire (Italian Research Foundation in Hematology) has asked their habits in terms of alcohol to 2,800 schoolchildren between 14 and 19 years of Rome, Latina and Frosinone and it has emerged that 60% of the sample declares to have participated at least once in this type of "binge".

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"Arouse concern", explains Francesca Biondini, the psychotherapist of the Centro Medico Santagostino, specialized in addictions, "but the change of modalities, with the irruption of new styles of consumption among adolescents".

"Binge drinking", explains Biondini, "is a method of taking 5 or more alcohol units to reach the state of alteration very quickly. As in any type of binge eating, alcoholic or food (binge eating), the large amount of sucrose, that is sugar taken in a very short time and the large amount, create an increase in serotonin levels, with an immediate and fast psychotropic effect. In alcoholic buffets, there is both the danger induced by the excessive quantity of alcohol and that due to the method of ingestion, which amplifies the negative impact on the capacity and on psychological, cognitive and organic health ».

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"Binge drinking in adolescence can have lasting effects on brain circuits that are still developing, such as the prefrontal cortex, one of the last brain regions to mature (as shown by research by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Louisiana State University ). The early onset of alcohol consumption has been linked to memory problems, impulsivity and increased risk of alcoholism in adulthood."

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"It is necessary," concludes Dr. Biondini, "to increase public awareness of the phenomenon and to disseminate information on the risks involved, perhaps by conducting in-depth investigations. We need greater awareness, an increased culture of alcohol, educational programs aimed at young people to make them understand the mental processes involved and the effects of the substance".