More than two billion people worldwide are regular alcohol users making it the most widely used recreational drug, particularly among university students, representing a serious public health problem1 . In recent decades, a new type of alcohol consumption has been observed among adolescents and young adults, called “binge drinking” (BD), which is characterized by the ingestion of a large amount of alcohol on the same occasion (four or more doses for women and five or more doses for men or 80 mg/dL of alcohol in the adult individual). This practice is considered a risk behavior due to the possibility of causing anatomical and functional alterations in the central nervous system, especially in the prefrontal region and limbic system, culminating in negative repercussions on memory, cognitive and executive functions, as well as impairing inhibitory control of the individual3 . Also, the consumption of large amounts of alcohol can cause repercussions throughout the body, increasing the possibility of cardiocirculatory events (hypertension, stroke, myocardial infarction, and arrhythmias), gastric ulcers, pancreatitis, and impaired immune system, among others. The aim of this study was to verify the prevalence of alcohol consumption and the practice of BD among university students from a higher education institution located in northern region of Brazil.