High-risk drinking? Excessive drinking? Abusive drinking? Problem drinking? Heavy episodic drinking? It’s all the same phenomenon. In numbers, it’s 5 or more drinks for men, 4 or more drinks for women (based on the Five/Four Measure) in any one "occasion". Occasion being defined by an evening, an afternoon, or more obviously, a morning (particularly if your morning starts at noon).

If that seems a bit nebulous, it might better be measured by intent. If the purpose of the occasion is consuming alcohol with the goal of getting ripped, that’s binge drinking.

Yes, there is such a thing. A Harvard study begun in 1993 under Dr. Henry Wechsler further defines binge drinking by the point at which negative consequences result (as viewed by either the drinker or those affected by someone else’s alcohol consumption).