Understanding Binge Drinking: NIAAA Fact Sheet

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08%–or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter–or higher. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming five or more drinks (male), or four or more drinks (female), in about two hours. Research shows that fewer drinks in the same time frame result in the same BAC in youth: only three drinks for girls and three to five drinks for boys, depending on their age and size. In the United States, a “standard drink” is defined as any beverage containing 0.6 fl oz or 14 grams of pure alcohol.