Can Binge Drinking Damage Your DNA?

In other news, not only does binge drinking damage your brain and your liver, but it also dissolves your DNA into a glob of putty.

Just exaggerating a little there, but supposedly, heavy drinking causes high levels of oxidative damage to one’s DNA, twice that of non-drinkers. Among college students who participate in binge drinking, the level of oxidative damage would be on par with adult drinkers, which is pretty substantial.

I really don’t mean to downplay the seriousness of alcohol abuse, but I think it’s safe to say that everyone knows about the damage that binge drinking can have on one’s health. It’s like going up to a smoker and telling them they’ll get lung cancer. A drug addict could even tell all the psychological and physiological effects certain substances have on the brain. With all the knowledge in the world, you can’t “convince” people to change their habits.

But what will? As I’ve said before, people need an alternative. A purpose. Knowing the facts isn’t enough to change someone’s way of life. They need something to drive them away from their destructive behavior.