Aims Alcohol use is the third highest risk factor for disease and disability. This study explored the association between binge drinking and mental health, general health, and diet and nutrition of young adults.Methods A sub-sample of 2590 adults aged 18-29 years was selected from 10 364 participants in the survey to investigate the effect of binge drinking exposure on depression, anxiety, quality of life and nutrition. The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) was used to assess hazardous drinking. A short version of the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to assess mental health. The quality of life was measured through the World Health Organization Quality of Life Survey. Multivariate regression analysis was performed. Potential confounders were age, gender, social class and AUDIT-C score. A two-tailed P-value was presented with a significance cut-off point at 0.05.Results Univariate regression analysis showed significant associations between binge drinking and depression (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8; P < 0.03), eating fried food (OR = 0.4; P < 0.001) and poor quality of life (OR = 1.5; P = 0.01). In a multivariate model adjusted for age, gender, social class and the AUDIT-C results, the association between binge drinking and depression disappeared despite the high risk indicated by the OR in the univariate analysis. A significant relation was found between binge drinking and eating fried food (OR = 0.43 and P < 0.001) and quality of life (OR = 1.09; P = 0.01) in the fully adjusted models. ConclusionsThe link between alcohol drinking and mental health remains poorly understood. More research into the relation between different aspects of alcohol consumption, mental health and quality of life is required.