Understanding binge drinking: Introduction to the special issue

Widespread interest in binge drinking, demonstrated by scientists, public p olicymakers, and educators, served as the impetus for assembling this speci al issue. The contents represent state-of-the-science conceptualizations an d empirical work on the topic of binge drinking. This issue begins with 2 i nvited articles and contains a selection of empirical articles that reflect experimental and correlational designs, longitudinal studies of the course and correlates of binge drinking, and controlled-intervention trials. Thes e articles address the construct validity of binge drinking as well as its utility as a high-risk marker in both theory-testing and intervention conte xts. This introductory article discusses several advantages and disadvantag es of continued use of the term binge drinking and suggests alternatives fo r use in research and applied contexts.