This title examines one of the world's critical issues, binge drinking. Readers will learn the historical background of this issue leading up to its current and future impact on society. What is binge drinking, binge drinking versus alcoholism, and the affects of binge drinking such as liver damage, decreased motor function, brain damage, weight gain, heart disease, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, and alcohol poisoning are discussed in detail. Organizations that work to influence alcohol consumption such as the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), The Substance and Mental Health Services Administration, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Inter-Association Task Force on Alcohol and Other Substance Abuse Issues, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) are introduced. Efforts to curb binge drinking by limiting sales, enacting legislation, raising the drinking age, increasing prices, and reducing availability are discussed. Community programs such as the Massachusetts Saving Lives Program, Project Northland, A Matter of Degree, and Communities That Care are covered. Engaging text, informative sidebars, and color photographs present information realistically, leaving readers with a thorough, honest interpretation of binge drinking. Features include a timeline, facts, additional resources, Web sites, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. Essential Issues is a series in Essential Library, an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.