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Binge drinking among college students essay
Alcohol and its effects on college students
Binge drinking among college students essay
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According to Veronica Harper’s Effects of Binge Drinking on College Students College students are more likely to consume alcohol more than people of the same age who are not attending college. Almost half of the college students that consume alcohol are considered binge drinkers (Five drinks in a row at one sitting for a man and four drinks in a row at one sitting for women). Many students believe the use of alcohol is a big part of the college experience, thus can be concluded that the college atmosphere may influence and nurture increased alcohol consumption. The amount of alcohol the student drinks varies according to their age, where they live, and with whom they associate (Harper). As stated in the article, if students begin using alcohol in high school, they are more likely to experience the negative consequences of heavy drinking in college. Occasional binge-drinkers are eight times more likely to miss a class, fall behind on their school work, affecting their academics greatly (Harper). On the other hand, college students who are older when they begin to consume alcohol ...
We meet people every day that can have a positive or negative influence on our lives and it is in these people that our lives are defined. One bad choice can send you in a downward spiral that you may not be able to recover from no matter how much help is around you. When it comes to binge drinking colleges are plagued with this growing issue because alcohol is legal and is not regulated the way that some fee that it should be.
Scrivo, K. (1998, March 20). Drinking on campus. CQ Researcher, 8, 241-264. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/
“80 percent of teen-agers have tried alcohol, and that alcohol was a contributing factor in the top three causes of death among teens: accidents, homicide and suicide” (Underage, CNN.com pg 3). Students may use drinking as a form of socializing, but is it really as good as it seems? The tradition of drinking has developed into a kind of “culture” fixed in every level of the college student environment. Customs handed down through generations of college drinkers reinforce students' expectation that alcohol is a necessary ingredient for social success. These perceptions of drinking are the going to ruin the lives of the students because it will lead to the development alcoholism. College students who drink a lot, while in a college environment, will damage themselves mentally, physically, and socially later in life, because alcohol adversely affects the brain, the liver, and the drinkers behavior.
College student drunkenness is far from new and neither are college and university efforts to control it. What is new, however, is the potential to make real progress on this age-old problem based on scientific research results. New research-based information about the consequences of high-risk college drinking and how to reduce it can empower colleges and universities, communities, and other interested organizations to take effective action. Hazardous drinking among college students is a widespread problem that occurs on campuses of all sizes and geographic locations. A recent survey of college students conducted by the Harvard University School of Public Health reported that 44 percent of respondents had drunk more than five drinks (four for women) consecutively in the previous two weeks. About 23 percent had had three or more such episodes during that time. The causes of this problem are the fact that students are living by themselves no longer with parents or guardians; they earn their own money; students need to be a part of a group, be accepted; and they have the wrong idea that to feel drunk is “cool.”
Why do college students drink so much? This timeless fad has effected this generation in high percentages since the beginning of college education. Today in America it is estimated that approximately 29% of college students are regular alcohol abusers. Another recent study by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism performed showed that college students suffered 1,400 deaths, 70,000 date rapes and assaults, and 500,000 injuries each year as a result of alcohol. (McDonald) Although binge drinking (5+ drinks in one sitting) is considered a normal part of the college experience many factors contribute to whether or not an individual is more prone to be an abuser.
However, education leaders from colleges and universities have pointed out that the heavy alcohol use among college students, may be a probable cause to revise the MLDA and lower it (Saylor 330). Many educators believe that if the drinking age is lowered, it will lower binge drinking and many of the consequences caused by drinking illegally. Martinez et al, 409). College students who consume alcohol often do “binge drinking.” Binge drinking has become more recognizable over the years, as more and more alcohol-related deaths have been discovered among college students.
Many of us, especially during those days in college have woken up with a pounding headache, dry throat and bleary eyes wondering how we got to this point. However, very few of us wonder why we drank so much when most of us are smart enough to know the consequences of heavy drinking. In the book “Getting wasted: why college students drink too much and party so hard”, the sociologist professor from Ohio University examined college drinking culture.
We all know what it is like to wake up in the morning, with our head aching, and our body feeling like it was just hit by a train. College students world wide know this feeling. These are the results of binge drinking. The question of why college students continue to submit themselves to alcohol is unknown. While many reasons are given, the cause generally falls into one of three categories, peer pressure, insecurity, or to help solve there problems. But the one thing students don’t realize are the consequences and effects that binge drinking can have, health and social problems are just a few.
In the past few months I have learned a lot about myself. When the incident first occurred I was very angry. I know plenty of people that drink that are under age and they don’t get caught. I kept asking myself why me? At first I was hesitant to change, but the last few months have been eye opening. I have definitely used this situation to my advantage. There are so many things that I have learned about myself. I have used these last few months to really evaluate my life and set new goals for myself. I think this experience has greatly affected my life in more ways then one. I have done many things to change my life. I have seen changes in my personal life regarding my family and my friends. Many people talk about life changing experiences and how it affects them. I think that my life has changed for the good because of this incident. I’m glad that I have used this negative incident to better my life and to change the fate of my future.
According to a national survey conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “almost 60 percent of college students ages 18–22 drank alcohol in the past month, 1 and almost 2 out of 3 of them engaged in binge drinking during that same timeframe” (NIH). Binge drinking culture refers to the recent rise and normalization of college age students drinking excessively. The CDC describes binge drinking as “a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol level to 0.08grams within two hours” (CDC). For many young adults, college is one of the first times they will experience complete freedom. This freedom often leads to partying, which goes hand in hand with the consumption of alcohol. However, since the age at which
student may not attend class the day after drinking because he or she may be
Weshler, Henry, and Wuethrich, Bernice. Dying to Drink: Confronting Binge Drinking on college campuses. Chicago: Rodale Inc., 2002. Print.
Binge or excessive drinking is the most serious problem affecting social life, health, and education on college campuses today. Binge or excessive drinking by college students has become a social phenomena in which college students do not acknowledge the health risks that are involved with their excessive drinking habits. Furthermore college students do not know enough about alcohol in general and what exactly it does to the body or they do not pay attention to the information given to them. There needs to be a complete saturation on the campus and surrounding areas, including businesses and the media, expressing how excessive drinking is not attractive and not socially accepted.
Although this may be true, some people will still argue that alcoholic drinks are not always a bad thing, especially if you are a teenager that wants to experience a little bit of danger and living to the fullest, as the Americans say live wild and free. Most of the new students in college feel that they are free from their parents; they can do anything want to do without worrying about the watchful eyes of their parents. The feelings of excitement that drive teenagers to try new things and experiment, for example drinking alcohol. Nowadays young people often ...
Particularly, the most unsafe college drinking, binge drinking, should not happen in an environment of colleges so that students who live around the campus would feel more secure. Besides, college is a place for higher people’s education, not a place to meet up and party. It is important to always remind ourselves that binge drinking is a serious issue for the general population as a whole (including people who don’t drink) because it affects us all.