The Dangers of Blacking Out

Have you ever awoken after a night of drinking without the memory of what you did? Alcohol-induced blackouts, commonly referred to as alcohol-induced amnesia, occur for various reasons depending on the individual and various other factors. Whatever the cause or reason, blacking out from alcohol abuse is highly dangerous. Alcohol is one of the leading causes of health issues in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 88,000 people die each year from alcohol-related causes, such as motor vehicle accidents and health issues like liver disease. Excessive drinking is responsible for 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults aged 20-64 years of age. The CDC defines the most common form of excessive drinking as binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined by NIAAA as a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL., or higher, which typically occurs:

- For women, 4 or more drinks during a single occasion (usually about 2 hours)
- For men, 5 or more drinks during a single occasion (usually about 2 hours)

Binge drinking is dangerous because it increases a person’s risk of experiencing alcohol-related injuries, health related problems, and black outs. Blacking out involves memory loss due to excessive drinking, most commonly binge drinking.

What Is Blacking Out?

Blacking out, also known as alcohol-induced blackouts, are a temporary loss of memory as a result of rapid consumption of alcohol. The most common excessive form of drinking is binge drinking. When a person is in a black out, they are temporarily unable to form new long-term memories while relatively maintaining other skills such as having conversations, eating, or even driving. This is because alcohol interferes with the ability to form new long-term memories. As the amount of alcohol consumed increases, so does the magnitude of memory impairment. When alcohol is consumed at rapid rates, it can produce either partial (fragmentary) blackouts or complete (en bloc) blackouts.

Partial (Fragmentary) Blackouts

Partial blackouts Occur when a person is drinking alcohol at rapid rates resulting in memory formation that is partially blocked. This blockage prevents the transfer of short-term memory to long-term storage, resulting in the ability to recall only some portion of the events during the time they were drinking.

Complete (En Bloc) Blackouts

Complete blackouts occur when a person is drinking alcohol in large quantities at rapid rates and has an inability to recall entire events during the time they were drinking.

What Causes a Blackout?

In addition to having high blood alcohol concentration, there are other characteristics that increase the risk of having a blackout. According to the Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence, some of the main characteristics that influence whether or not a person experiences blackouts include gender, ethnicity, genetics, how alcohol is consumed, and rate of consumption. There is a stronger correlation between alcohol-induced blackouts when alcohol is consumed at rapid rates then large quantities. Researchers have found that all alcohol-induced blackout periods occurred after a rapid rise in blood alcohol levels. According to recent research, drinking on an empty stomach can also increase the risk of blacking out as this can drastically raise one’s BAC.