SARAH Harding may be famous for her raunchy performances in Girls Aloud but it's her party lifestyle that's been in the glare of the media spotlight. The singer recently announced that she wanted to curb her drinking habits, after landing a top spot in one gossip columnist's league of drunkards and regularly coming under fire for her exploits as a girl about town.

"I'm not always drunk like people think," she said. "I want people to see there's more to me than just going out and getting trolleyed. I can't say I'm not a binge drinker. I do go out and drink and get photographed but I'm not always as wasted as people think."

Many women enjoy indulging in the odd glass of wine or half pint of lager, but binge drinking is becoming a growing fad for young females. Women drinking in excess of 14 units of alcohol a week shifted from ten per cent in 1988 to 17 per cent in 2002 - an increase of 70 per cent, according to Alcohol Concern.

With new terms at university looming, student towns are likely to see a flurry of young women toasting their student status with a few drinking jaunts. But when does a harmless supping session turn into a dangerous drink binge?

In the past, Alcohol Concern has classified binge drinking as consuming more than five drinks on a single occasion. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) classes "heavy" drinking for women, however, at six or more units at least one day in the week.

The exact terms may not be cut and dry but one thing is for sure, prolonged heavy drinking sessions have become part and parcel of British culture - and young people are most likely to be hit by the binge drinking bug. For both sexes, the prevalence of heavy drinking is highest in the 16 to 24-year-old age group and decreases with age.

"Binge drinking defines someone who actively has many alcohol-free days a week and doesn't have a problem with this, then when they do drink, they over-consume," explains Georgia Foster, clinical hypnotherapist and author of The Drink Less Mind. "I call it the 'all or nothing' syndrome. They either drink nothing, or way too much."

Sarah Harding isn't alone in having drink-induced nights out with a heavy hangover to deal with in the morning. University students are just as renowned for their wild ways.

Highly qualified women were about one third more likely than women with no or few qualifications to binge drink, according to recent research by the UCL Institute of Child Health. So why are some young, intelligent women quite happy to turn into temporary 'winos'?

"There are many reasons why woman over-drink," says Foster. "The main one is social shyness - drinking alcohol can give an under-confident woman an extra boost. The problem is then this becomes the habit.

"It is assumed among many people now that to have a good time with friends means drinking a lot. Alcohol is also a way to gain sexual confidence too, so many woman will 'drink their date beautiful' thinking that it is a way to find love."

But with its long-list of physical effects, binge drinking is unlikely to be a catalyst for love affairs. Prolonged heavy drinking sessions can affect the memory, fertility, cause digestive disorders, liver and kidney disease, and even premature death.

If you're accustomed to binge drinking, it's important to take control and try and break the habit.

Theresa Thornton, wellness consultant and life coach has this advice: "If women want to avoid drinking in excess then a whole change of life perspective can be more helpful than simply advising them to cut down. Consider what it is you get from these drinking sessions - a social life, friendships, stress relief, 'down time', dressing up and feeling good to go out? Also it is important to consider the emotional implications of not drinking as much."

Girlie bonding sessions don't have to take place over a few-too-many bottles of plonk, according to Thornton.

"Be wary that feelings of being left out and not part of the group can easily come into play," she warns. "It may be much better if a group of girls decide to work together to break the binge habit. That way they can replace the time with something else they can do together whilst having fun.

"A girlie spa day in luxury will cost far less than all the drinks and the taxi fare on a wild night out and will leave you all feeling fabulous - minus the hangover. Or try taking up a new exercise routine. Anything you can do together as an alternative is good, and the more varied, the better for motivation's sake. "If alcohol really needs to be in the equation, sharing a bottle of wine while watching a movie at home is a better option."

WOMEN AND ALCOHOL - THE FACTS

Source: Alcohol Concern (2007)

* 59 per cent of women over the age of 16 reported drinking alcohol in the previous week.

* Average consumption for women was 6.5 units in 2005, 20 per cent drank over three units at least once a week and eight per cent drank over six units at least once a week. 13 per cent drink at least five days a week.

* The proportion of women drinking in excess of 14 units a week increased from ten per cent in 1988 to 17 per cent in 2002, an increase of 70 per cent.

* Women in managerial/professional households are more likely to drink regularly than those in routine or manual households.

* In 2001, 2,227 women died from illnesses directly attributed to alcohol.

* For more information on alcohol misuse visit www.alcoholconcern.org.uk, or to find out if you're drinking too much take the test at www.downyourdrink.org.uk

* For more information on Georgia Foster visit www.georgiafoster.com

* For more information on Theresa Thornton visit

www.the.self-belief-coach.com