October 15, 2024

Can a text reduce binge drinking?

Binge drinking is responsible for about 80,000 deaths every year, according to the Cdc and Prevention (CDC), but new research shows something as easy as a text can help to eliminate binge drinking in teenagers.

The study, published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, followed 765 young adults in danger of hazardous drinking for 12 weeks and located texting to the high-risk group following an emergency room visit reduced their binge drinking by about 50 %.

“Illicit drugs and opiates grab all the headlines, but alcohol continues to be fourth leading reason for preventable death in the U.S.,” said Dr. Brian Suffoletto from the?University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine in?Pittsburgh, said inside a news release.? “When we can intervene in a meaningful way in the and habits of people when they are young, we’re able to make a real dent for the reason that tragic statistic.? Alcohol may bring these to the ER, but we are able to do our part to keep them from becoming repeat visitors.”

Participants were split into three groups C a control group who didn’t receive any texts from medical staff, a group who received questions regarding their alcohol consumption without feedback to their responses, along with a group who received exactly the same questions along with feedback to assist create a safe drinking goal, based on the study.

Each group self-reported the amount of binge drinking days and also the number of drinks consumed each day.? The group who received a text and feedback reported a 51 percent decrease in binge drinking days along with a 31 percent reduction in the amount of drinks consumed each day as the other two groups reported a rise in binge drinking days, according to a news release.

“Every day in the U.S., a lot more than 50,000 adults ages 18 to 24 visit ERs and up to half have hazardous alcohol consumption patterns,” Dr. Suffoletto said inside a news release. “Greater than a third of these report excessive drinking or dependence.? The emergency department supplies a unique setting to screen teenagers for drinking problems and also to engage with them via their preferred mode of communication to lessen future use.”

Binge drinking is defined as men eating than five drinks and women eating than four drinks within 2 hours, bringing a person’s blood alcohol concentration gain levels to 0.08 or over, according to the CDC.

“Binge drinking takes a tremendous toll on your body,” says?Dr. Adam Rubinstein, an internal medicine physician with?Advocate Condell Clinic?in Libertyville, Ill. “Over time, binge drinking raises blood pressure level and may significantly damage your liver. I typically tell patients when they will drink at all, I’d rather they have one glass of vino with dinner every night rather than 4 or 5 glasses of wine in a single sitting one time per week due to the negative impact of that type of binge drinking.”

To have more info on alcoholism and prevention, click the link.