When you have 5 or more standard drinks* on a single occasion. Most harms associated with alcohol happen when a person has been binge drinking.

* Some experts define binge drinking as 5 or more standard drinks for a male and 4 or more for a female on a single occasion. This is because women generally become more intoxicated than men when drinking the same amount of alcohol. On average, women weigh less than men and have less water in their bodies, so alcohol is less diluted and has a stronger impact.