Why do College Students Drink so Much?
Why do College Students Drunk so Much? "Alcohol abuse on college campuses has reached a point where it is far more destructive than most people and today realize and today threatens too many of our youth." -Senator Joe Lieberman 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. There are five factors that connect students with alcohol abuse with include: gender, family alcohol abuse, family depression and mental illness, childhood hyperactivity, and deviant behavior before age 15. Deviant behavior, for example, consists of acts such as being expelled from school, fighting, committing vandalism,
Excessive drinking in college can also result in situations such as lifetime dependence. However, educating binge drinkers about the way they are preventing oxygen from getting to their brain when they black out is a start to decreasing the statistics of abusers. (Fleming) Criterion B covers more serious abuse which harm one's personal and occupational lifestyles. As a result of her binge drinking this girl did not discover until weeks later that these boys took turns having sex with her, put a lampshade on her head, and wrote all over her face, all while in front of an audience. The underlying reason is that people who participate frequently in this activity crave sensation. This example shows that situations like this occur on all campuses, not just campuses with a reputation of being a "party school. Perhaps the most common answer to why students drink so much is the initial rebellion from the freedom gained by moving out of their parent's home. (Straus 138) It is almost impossible to ever get college students to stop drinking. (Fleming) A report from the University of Richmond told a story about a female college freshman who experienced a horrible situation after a night of drinking. The test given to check for pathological alcohol abuse is known as Criterion A for alcohol abuse. Many people who were antisocial growing up begin drinking abusively earlier in adolescence. Drinking behaviors areoften learned in the process of socialization. One study has shown that a typical American college student will spend more money on alcohol during college than textbooks.
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