Kerry Lewis attempts to understand what reasons we have (if any) to binge drink. From the University of Exeter’s Exeposé:

The life of the average student is a difficult one – with deadlines due, seminars to prepare for, exams to worry about, bills to pay and housing to sort out, everyone expects to feel a little stressed out now and again. Of course, there is an easy answer to all of this; go out, have a good time and forget all your problems ever existed, whether that’s by going to the pub with a couple of friends for a few drinks or having a night on the town. But with the number of alcohol-related deaths on the rise, is it time we questioned why so many young people feel the need to get hammered seven nights in a week?

Yes, we’ve heard it all before: binge-drinking is typically classified as men having more than five drinks in a row (in comparison with four for women); binge-drinking is on the rise; binge-drinking destroys our livers; binge-drinking this, binge-drinking that. So much has been written on the topic that many of us have simply become immune to the phrase. After all, it’s just a bit of fun and everyone does it. But why is binge-drinking so popular? A study in 2006 revealed that 59% of 18-24 year olds and 43% of 25-34 year olds drink simply to get drunk and no figures since have indicated a decrease in this percentage. What is it that we love so much about the more extreme effects of intoxication?

Full story here.