A discrepancy of definitions
Binge drinking and female students at
an Australian university
Women are more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol than men. They
get intoxicated more quickly and have a higher blood alcohol level
than men, even when body weight and alcohol consumption are
the same. Despite this we are seeing a convergence of the drinking
patterns of young women and young men, including binge drinking. In
this research, 20 female students from the University of New England
were interviewed to discover their perception of binge drinking.
The interviews revealed that binge drinking is prevalent among
these women and identified an important discrepancy between the
student’s definitions of binge drinking – associated with behaviour – in
comparison to the public health definitions of binge/riskier drinking –
associated with the quantity of alcohol.
by Sera Murugiah
26
inge drinking among university students has been well documented (Harper 2005;
Kypri 2002; Roche & Watt 1999; Wechsler & Kuo 2000) Many factors such as drinking
games, alcohol promotions and peer pressure tend to foster binge drinking among
students (Borsari 2004; Green & Grider 1990; Johnson & Sheets 2004; Youngerman 2005). In
addition, some research has noted that the term “binge drinking” is loosely interpreted by
students (Goodhart et al. 2003). For example, some students assume binge drinking on the
weekends is acceptable and non-problematic (National Health and Medical Research Council
2002). Despite the detrimental effects of binge drinking (Engineer et al. 2003), it continues to
be prevalent among university students (Bergen-Cico 2000; Mallett et al. 2006; Wechsler &
Kuo 2000).
In addition, contemporary research has reported that binge drinking is prevalent among
young women (Guise & Gill 2007; Livingston 2008; Wechsler & Wuethrich 2002). In Australia,
research has also indicated that binge drinking among young women (aged 18 to 24) increased
between 1999 to 2006 (Livingston 2008). Furthermore, studies have found that female university
students in Australia are drinking alcohol at hazardous levels (Isralowitz, Borowski & Ong
1993; Johnston & White 2004). Despite finding that female Australian university students are
consuming increasing amounts more regularly, these studies have not addressed how young
women understand and rationalise their binge drinking. Therefore, the purpose of this study
Youth Studies Australia
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VOLUME 31 NUMBER 2 2012
is to explore young women’s perception and
understanding of binge drinking.
It should be noted that this study focuses
on the public health impact(s) of women
who engage in excessive alcohol intake.
The research does not examine the feminist
aspects of binge drinking among women,
although perceptions of feminism could be
valuable for future exploration. For example,
the notion, as sought by the dominant liberal
humanist model of feminism, is of “equality
of opportunity for men and women” (O’Brien
1999). Does the desire for equality influence
women’s drinking patterns?
Women and alcohol
Women are more vulnerable to the effects of
alcohol than men because of their lower level
of gastric alcohol dehydrogenase (an enzyme
that breaks down alcohol), and their generally
smaller body size (Josephs & Steele 1990;
MacAskill et al. 2001; Spooner & Hetherington
2005). Women are likely to get intoxicated
faster and have a higher blood alcohol
level than men even if they are identical in
body weight and have consumed the same
quantity of alcohol (Gray 2007; World Health
Organisation 2005). There appears to be
gender convergence in drinking patterns,
especially among the young, with women’s
patterns becoming more like men’s (Roche &
Deehan 2002).
Defining binge drinking
The term “binge drinking” as a range of
definitions, especially in English-speaking
countries (Herring, Berridge & Thom 2008).
It was first documented in the Glossary of
Northamptonshire words and phrases that “a
man goes to the alehouse to get a good
binge, or binge himself” (Baker 1854). Many
studies pertaining to Western cultures have
described this type of drinking (see: Barr 1995;
Clark 1983). This loose qualitative definition,
however, differs from modern medicalised
accounts of binge drinking, which are
defined according to precise quantities of
alcohol consumed.
Over the course of time, the meaning
of “binge” changed. Modern clinicians and
health professionals have described “binge”
drinking as consisting of two different
patterns. First, a pattern of heavy drinking
over a long period of time, whereby a person
engages in many days of out-of-control
drinking; and second, the consumption of
an arbitrary number of standard drinks in
a single session (Berridge, Herring & Thom
2009; Berridge, Thom & Herring 2007). It
is the second definition that is widely used
in reports, alcohol studies and referenced
in policies by researchers, clinicians and
politicians to describe binge drinking
(Herring, Berridge & Thom 2008).
While the clinical description of “binge”
allows drinkers to measure the amount of
alcohol consumed, there is no universal
consensus as to how many standard drinks
constitutes a “binge” (Herring, Berridge and
Thom 2008; Oei and Morawska 2004). For
example, binge drinking is defined as “five or
more standard drinks for a man, and four or
more drinks for a woman in one session” in
the USA (Wechsler et al. 1995), “eight or more
units for a male and six or more units for a
female in one sitting” in the UK (Measham
& Brain 2005) and seven or more standard
drinks in one session in New Zealand (Fryer,
Jones & Kalafatelis 2011).
In Australia, binge drinking commonly
refers to drinking at “risky” or “high-risk”
levels (Australian Medical Asscociation
2009), however, the term “binge” is generally
avoided by guidelines because it is difficult
to measure. Instead of “binge” drinking, the
recent National Health and Medical Council
(NHMRC) guidelines use “a single occasion of
drinking” (NHMRC 2011, 2009), which means:
…a sequence of consuming drinks without the
blood alcohol concentration reaching zero in
between. This can be at home or at an event,
but includes drinking spread across more than
one context or venue (NHMRC 2009, p.11).
Under the NHMRC guidelines, one should
not consume more than four standard drinks
on a single occasion as it doubles the risk of
an injury in the six hours after that occasion
(NHMRC 2009). This study also used the
NHMRC guidelines (>4 drinks) as a cut-off
mark to recruit the so-called binge/riskier
drinkers. Although NHMRC guidelines did
Youth Studies Australia
VOLUME 31 NUMBER 2 2012
27
not use the term “binge’, this cut-off point
remains relevant to the study.
Previous research
‘…feels weird
not to get drunk
when everyone
else is drunk…
it’s so much
fun… it is a
social thing’
In Australia, Johnston and White’s (2004)
study was found to be the only research
that explored the quantity and effects
of binge drinking exclusively among
female university students (aged 18 to
24), indicating a lack of research in this
area. Results from their study (a survey
of 139 female students) found that almost
half (48%) engaged in binge drinking. The
researchers found that those women who
were involved in binge drinking were more
likely to believe that drinking excessively
would result in fun and to report reduced
inhibitions as a positive experience of
drinking. The authors, however, did not
investigate female students’ perception of
binge drinking. The current study builds on
Johnston and White’s work using in-depth
interviews to examine the meanings women
attach to drinking behaviours and the social
values that shape their understanding of
acceptable drinking.
Method
The current research took place at the
University of New England (UNE), Armidale,
New South Wales. Armidale has a number
of places of cultural interest and some social
entertainment venues, including a cinema,
golf club, bowling club and shopping malls.
However, there is a lack of nightlife in
Armidale. The night-time entertainment in
Armidale is generally limited to the pubs.
No scholarly studies have been conducted in
Armidale, despite the strong drinking and
college culture.
The study used in-depth interviews to
understand the meanings students attach to
drinking behaviours. In-depth interviewing
was found to be the most suitable method
because it allows the interviewees to freely
express their thoughts about an issue
(Esterberg 2002; Johnson 2002) – in this
case, the women’s perception of “binge”
drinking. Through in-depth interviews, a
holistic comprehension of the interviewees’
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Youth Studies Australia
VOLUME 31 NUMBER 2 2012
perspective of a situation could be gained
(Dawson 2009).
A screening sheet and a main questionnaire were designed for this study. The
screening sheet had four questions:
1. Which age group do you belong to?
2. Do you drink?
3. How often do you drink?
4. Did you consume more than four drinks in
the past six months?
This formed the initial questionnaire used
to recruit and shortlist the potential participants. The screening sheets were distributed
to the women during class time by their
lecturers, and returned to the interviewer after
class. Thereafter, the potential participants
were contacted via phone and email. The main
questionnaire had 20 questions examining the
women’s drinking experience and perception
of binge drinking. The interview questions
were semi-structured to allow flexibility in
the interview schedule to explore themes
important to the participant.
To be eligible to participate in this study
there were three criteria. First, only female
students were recruited because they are
more vulnerable than men to the physical
manifestations of binge drinking. Second, the
study recruited female students aged from
18 to 24 years because previous research has
indicated that young people in that age group
are more likely to binge drink than other
age groups (Moore, Smith & Catford 1994).
Finally, only women who had consumed more
than four drinks on a single occasion in the
past six months were eligible to participate.
The potential participants, however, were not
informed of the 4+ standard drinks cut-off
mark as it would defeat the purpose of investigating their perceptions of binge drinking.
In total, 20 undergraduate female students,
aged between 18 and 24 years, were recruited
from sociology and criminology classes.
However, due to a lack of diverse ethnic
cultures at UNE, all of the recruited participants were Caucasians. Ethical approval
was sought from UNE Research Ethics and
standard ethical procedures were followed.
In general, each interview lasted
approximately an hour. The interviews were
recorded and then transcribed verbatim. The
data was analysed using thematic analysis
whereby the interviewer looked for common
patterns and themes that derived from the
interviews. Twenty interviews were sufficient
for this study as thematic saturation was
achieved, meaning there are no new or
distinctive ideas from subsequent participants
(Bowen 2008; Jackson et al. 2008).
Findings
Frequency
Almost all students (n=19) in this study drank
at least once a week, mainly on Wednesdays
or weekends. Drinking occurs on Wednesdays
because of the “on-campus bistro night”
(colloquially called the Stro). Because the
Stro is close to the residential colleges and
is normally free to enter (apart from major
events where a nominal fee applies), many
UNE students employ it as a central venue to
socialise. The weekends (Friday and Saturday)
are usually dedicated to the pubs in town.
Reasons for drinking
All the participants stated that their
primary reason for drinking was to facilitate
socialising. For example, three women said:
I am way more sociable when I am drunk;
I talk to people. For example, if I haven’t
had a drink, I will not talk to someone that I
don’t know, but when I go out after I had a
couple of drinks, I do. I will talk to anyone.
[Interview 4]
You feel more OK to approach someone …
more confident when you are approaching the
opposite sex. You are way more open about
things, you tell people things you won’t
normally say like “I love you”… you know
what I mean … deep and meaningful stuff.
[Interview 7]
I don’t know … everyone is getting drunk
and I want to as well…to have fun and talk
to people you don’t know that well … get to
know people better…feels weird not to get
drunk when everyone else is drunk…it’s so
much fun… it is a social thing [Interview 13]
Some participants also reported that peer
pressure is common in colleges, and many
students are often pressured to conform to do
certain things such as drinking in order to fit
into a group or vice-versa. For example, two
participants said:
Because of the college environment, Stro
nights on Wednesdays, “Kilda’ night on
Thursdays, there is a lot of pressure in college
to drink. [Interview 9]
In college there was a seniority thing and the
senior gals can kind of tell you what to do,
and I was pressured to drink more … we had
sculling races. [Interview 10]
Most of the participants described
Armidale as boring. In Armidale, there is a
shortage of venues for social entertainment
and activities, especially at night. The pubs
are the only source of nightlife entertainment
for many young people.
4+ drinks on a single occasion
The women were asked how often they
consumed more than four standard drinks in a
single drinking session. All of them admitted
having more than four standard drinks in one
session, especially when they are planning to
have a “big night”. A “big night” may include
drinking with mates in residential colleges,
college functions, house parties or going out
to the pubs with a group of friends. As two
students said:
Living in a college, we can have three or four
functions a week involving drinking. When I
drink, I drink a fair bit. I won’t have less than
ten drinks when I go out. [Interview 15]
If I go to the Stro, I try to drink a lot. I drink
three or four before going to the Stro, and at
the Stro, I drink maybe up to three more …
overall up six or seven. [Interview 12]
The following student consumed four or
more drinks on a single occasion. Even though
binge drinking was not mentioned at this
stage of the interview, she asked:
Is that considered as binge drinking?Is
“four” drinks considered as binge drinking?
[Interview 19]
Youth Studies Australia
VOLUME 31 NUMBER 2 2012
29
‘I think binge
drinking is
going out on
the weekend
and getting
completely
hammered
basically to
a point of no
return.’
Preloading
Preloading (also known as pre-gaming
or front-loading) refers to drinking a vast
amount of alcohol in a private setting before
going to another social event (e.g. clubs)
(Read, Merrill & Bytschkow 2010). When
further questioned about their consumption
pattern, almost all (n=19) said that they
engage in preloading before going out to the
pubs. According to three women:
I drink before going out; to make sure I
don’t spend so much money once I am out.
[Interview 2].
I only spent $20 on Saturday night when I
went out because we had pre-drinks. Alcohol
[at the bar] is so expensive. [Interview 6]
I normally drink around the village
[residential college] before I go out. It is
pretty expensive to drink in the pubs.
[Interview 10]
While most of these students engage in
preloading to save money when going out,
some females also said that they would drink
if someone buys them drinks at the bar.As one
student mentioned:
I drink beforehand because it is cheaper. I will
drink if someone buys me a drink at the pub,
especially my boyfriend. He buys me a couple
of drinks because he doesn’t really care about
the money. [Interview 3]
In addition, some students believe
preloading makes their drinking experience
more enjoyable when going out. For example,
two students said:
If I am going out, I like to have a fair few
[beverages]. I don’t enjoy being sober.
[Interview 12]
If I go to the Stro, I try to drink a lot because
it makes it more fun. [Interview 13]
Perception of binge drinking
The participants were asked to describe their
perceptions of binge drinking. Throughout
these interviews, a variety of descriptions of
binge drinking were noted. For example:
30
Youth Studies Australia
VOLUME 31 NUMBER 2 2012
My understanding of binge drinking is a lot
of drinking, like heaps of drinking, one after
another like you go out on a weekend and get
drunk and you go out the next weekend and
get drunk again and so on like every weekend
… if you have few beers like every Saturday,
Wednesday, that is not binge drinking.
[Interview 6]
I think binge drinking is going out on the
weekend and getting completely hammered
basically to a point of no return … going out
to get so drunk that you are always spewing
and can’t remember things, doing things that
you won’t usually do … basically writing
yourself off, having no control over your
body, passing out. [Interview 18]
Many of the women related to drinkingas
drinking heavily during the weekend. Some
women were quite puzzled when asked
about their understanding of binge drinking.
For example:
That’s a tough one. I don’t really know what
binge drinking is, except the consumption
of alcohol … I don’t know the rules to it.
[Interview 15]
I don’t even know what the word “binge”
means in a dictionary, but I think it is
drinking more than the regulated amount
a day. Binge to me means a lot of alcohol.
[Interview 4]
I don’t really understand the concept. I
thought it was like you get drunk and then
you wake up the next morning and keep
drinking. [Interview 10]
However, most of them described
binge drinking as a phenomenon related to
behaviour. For example, three women said:
Binge drinkers are embarrassing people
who make fools of themselves. I understand
that it is someone who doesn’t drink except
to get absolutely drunk. I think binge has
a sort of crappy behaviour attached to it.
[Interview 12]
You basically drink to a point where you
know you can’t handle it and make yourself
absolutely blind drunk and stupider, that
is my perception of binge drinking. I think
it’s a state of behaviour … the way they act.
[Interview 14]
I look at it as little underage kids drinking a
lot and not knowing their limits and getting
absolutely wasted … it’s until you usually
pass out … I think it’s like a behaviour thing
like stumbling over everywhere, making a
fool of yourself, slurring your words,passing
out. [Interview 17]
On the other hand, some women believed
that binge drinking is related to the amount of
drinks consumed. For example:
Binge drinking for me is drinking large
amounts. Probably for females, I wouldsay
seven to ten drinks, and males wouldbe
higher. [Interview 8]
More than ten drinks … If you have ten
drinks in three hours, I will not think that as
binge drinking … but 10 drinks in one hour
that is pretty full on. [Interview 2]
Even though these students said that the
quantity alone confirms binge drinking, they
were uncertain of the actual amount of drinks
that constitute a “binge’.
Related to their perceptions on binge
drinking, the students were asked how they
would describe a person whom they consider
a binge drinker. Most students described their
mates, for example:
There is a girl in college, I know she drinks
a lot … she gets very drunk and she turns
dirty in the end, spewing everywhere and
“absolutely blind’. Her dress would be up to
her waist and she doesn’t notice it. It grosses
everyone out. She drinks probably three times
a week or more often. [Interview 16]
I have a friend back at home and she’s a
chronic binge drinker … she’s only seventeen
and she drinks quite a lot … she drinks four
days in a week. She lets her inhibitions go a
fair bit and she does whatever she wants and
keeps doing it. [Interview 17]
on the way he or she behaves when under the
influence of alcohol.
When asked whether they consider
themselves to be binge drinkers, less than half
(n=8) admitted that they drink excessively
and often more than they should.
I know I am a binge drinker because Idrink
on a weekly basis, and I drink myself stupid.
Throughout the week I won’t touch anything
and the next weekend I will be drinking
again. [Interview 1]
I know you can’t see that on the [audio]tape,
but I raised my hand for that … I have drunk
until I have not been 100% in control of
myself. [Interview 11]
I do drink too much and most times I know
how much is enough but I still drink a lot. I
know you shouldn’t but I still do it anyways.
Armidale, have you seen the number of pubs
here … I think it encourages binge drinking,
and boredom too and nothing else to do.
[Interview 16]
These students considered themselves as
binge drinkers because they have not been in
full control of themselves when intoxicated.
Although these students do not consume on a
daily basis, they often drink heavily on those
days they choose to drink.
On the other hand, more than half (n=12)
did not consider themselves to be binge
drinkers. The reasons include:
‘I know I am a
binge drinker
because I
drink on a
weekly basis,
and I drink
myself stupid.’
I drink three times a week; yeah probably
I do drink in excess, but I get up the next
morning and do my work. I get up and do
everything I need to. I don’t write myself off.
I do want to get drunk but I do want to have
a life the next day. I think binge drinking
is an irresponsible behaviour and abusing
your privileges. What’s the point of writing
yourself off? [Interview 18]
Usually I am quite well behaved. I don’t
sleep with someone and I am in complete
self-control … I am not someone who does
embarrassing things. I don’t embarrass
myself. [Interview 16]
The above quotes indicate that whether or
not an individual is a binge drinker depends
Youth Studies Australia
VOLUME 31 NUMBER 2 2012
31
Because I don’t get silly or disruptive …
the next day, people do not tell me “oh I
saw you do this” and I was being stupid.
My boyfriend is always sober, and he tells
me that I am good when I am drinking.
income was the reason most of the women
engaged in preloading. However, for
some women, preloading intensified their
drinking experience.
[Interview 13]
Limitations and future studies
Staying in control of oneself or being able
to perform one’s duties the day after drinking
(e.g. going to class) were found to be the main
reasons why these students do not consider
themselves as binge drinkers.
Discussion
Most of the women in this study perceived
binge drinking to be a social phenomenon
related to behaviour. According to them,
binge drinking refers to the social or personal
behaviour that occurs after heavy drinking,
such as vomiting, passing out in public, violent
behaviour and inappropriate sexual behaviour.
In general, these students considered binge
drinkers to be individuals who abuse alcohol,
often drinking to a state of unconsciousness,
and participating in activities that the students
see as deviant. In addition, more than half of
the women interviewed identify binge drinking
with the display of certain mannerisms
principally linked with low self-control. For
instance, if an individual drinks heavily and
is in control of him or herself, it seems that he
or she is not a binge drinker. However, even
if a person drinks moderately and engages in
deviant or embarrassing activities, he or she
can be classified as a binge drinker.
The findings from this study suggest
that a sense of control over one’s behaviour
when drunk shapes women’s acceptance
of binge drinking. It can be concluded that
focusing on a woman’s behaviour may have
more impact on her health than simply
providing a definition of how many drinks are
required to render a person intoxicated. This
research concludes that there is an important
discrepancy between young women’s
definitions of binge drinking and public
health definitions.
While preloading was not the main
focus of this study, some insights concerning
women’s drinking behaviour were observed.
The study found that a limited disposable
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VOLUME 31 NUMBER 2 2012
This study is not without limitations.The
young women used in this study may not
be representative of the entire population
at the University of New England. Only
Caucasian women aged between 18 and 24
were recruited for this study – more diverse
ethnicities and age groups may have offered
different understandings of binge drinking.
In addition, no second coder was used during
the analysis to confirm the theme. Future
research could address these limitations,
and prospective studies could also use other
qualitative tools, such as focus groups, to
examine the students’ perception of binge/
riskier drinking. Further studies could also
investigate how young women’s behavior
is shaped by broader cultural gender and
drinking knowledge and behaviours. The
practice of “preloading” among youth in
Australia should also be further explored.
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