Binge Drinking Research Paper

The Harvard School of Public Health has done numerous studies on college binge drinking. These studies are known as the standard for binge drinking data. They define binge drinking

In Henry Wechsler’s, “Getting Serious about Eradicating Binge Drinking”, he discusses the issue of binge drinking. Binge drinking is an extensive problem on college campuses. The majority of colleges merely focus on the student, rather than what encourages students to drink. Fraternities, sororities, and athletics are huge sources of the students on campus who drink. There are many approaches colleges can take to decrease the problem, and many colleges are already getting a head start. It is also important to not ignore how often colleges indirectly encourage students to drink (20).

“From the moment freshmen set foot on campus, they are steeped in a culture that encourages them to drink, and drink heavily. At many schools, social life is still synonymous with alcohol-lubricated gatherings” (Cohen). Binge drinking is a huge aspect of the culture of college life; many college students binge drink to become socially accepted in a particular group. Binge drinking is not only

Those that participate in binge drinking do it for many different reasons, a bad test grade, roommate arguments, celebration for a job well done, peer pressure, or simply because it is the weekend. No one is saying that it is wrong to go out and have a few drinks but when students go out and just drink to get drunk, actions must be taken to stop such activity. According to the graph on the next page done by the Harvard Public School of Health it is clear that a majority of students drink to simply get wasted. [Colorado State University 1] The number of binge drinkers may not have gone up in 1999 compared to 1997, for every five students two are binge drinkers, or 44%. [Wechsler #2, 1] However, the intensity of drinking has increased, when students are going out they are having more to drink. [Wechsler #2, 2]

Presidents of college campuses around the nation face issues of underage drinking and binge drinking on a regular basis and realizes that it is a danger and a problem. “Alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., a major contributing factor to unintentional injuries, the leading cause of death for youths and young adults, and accounts for an estimated 75,000 or more deaths in the United States annually” (Wechsler 2010). Binge drinking can be loosely defined as consuming five or more drinks at one sitting for men and four drinks for women. Binge drinking amongst college students is a social activity that allows students to let loose and “fit in”.

As recognition grows that binge drinking on colleges nationwide is more prevalent than ever, school administrators and parents alike are seeking useful intervention to combat this issue. Studies have determined that “students’ use of alcohol is shaped, to some extent; by how much they think other students on campus drink” (Wechsler 2000:57). Most college students are in the particular age group that statistically has the highest rate of binge drinking. According to the American Journal of Public Health, this leads college students who decide to overindulge “extremely vulnerable to such health problems as: injuries from related car crashes; unplanned and unsafe sex; assault and aggressive behavior; alcohol dependence; and

Sheffield, Jack Darkes and Frances K. Del Boca). The numbers between 2-year and 4 year colleges that involve problematic binge drinking are respectfully higher on a 4-year college campus, however despite this elevation, binge drinking still presents its share of consequences at an undergrad level. The environmental differences contribute to the lower numbers at a community college level are associated with the lack of fraternities and sororities and the variations of social norms. Prevention and intervention efforts would need to speak to these differences in campus life and maneuver around the limited financial and personnel

Underage drinking has become an immense problem in the U.S. There are many reasons that lead kids under the age of twenty-one to drink. CNN states that “ Only a sip early on in life could be a problem later on in life” (CNN News). This quote states that having that one drink as an underage drinker won't just affect you then, but it will affect your life later on. Our country has come to realize that we have a problem with teenage alcoholism; schools inform their students about this problem, the news talks about tragic events that have happened involving teenagers under the influence of alcohol, there is even movies that have to do with underage drinking. However, kids today choose to make the wrong decisions and put their

My sobriety date is 5 August 2009. In May 2010 I decided to take my first holiday in sobriety to Lyon in France where I have relatives; just 10 months into my journey I was a bit anxious about going away from my comfort zone; however I had plenty of AA friends by this time and got loads of advice prior to going. This included finding out where the nearest AA meeting was, preferably in English as my French was non-existent.

Drunk driving is a problem for teenager drivers because they are inexperienced in both driving, and alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol causes teenagers to have a false sense of immortality, and a disregard for the world around them (source 2).

Underage drinking is when anyone under the legal age of 21 drinks alcohol. Teens typically fall back to alcohol in order to cope with the physical, mental, and emotional stress that they endure through this age period. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, by age fifteen, about 35 percent of teens have had at least one drink and by age eighteen, 65 percent have had at least one drink. This is mind blowing, because no one really thinks of teens starting to drink at such an early age. I think the biggest problem with teens is they do what they believe makes them “cool”. Although, they do not realize the consequences that can result. A few consequences of underage drinking include school problems, social problems, legal problems, physical problems, unwanted/unprotected sexual activity, etc (“Fact Sheets-Underage Drinking”). A night out being “cool/popular” with friends could lead to serious issues. The younger people begin drinking, the more likely they are to have alcohol problems in adulthood. Statistics show that one in every twelve adults suffer from alcohol abuse (“Alcohol & Drug Information NCADD”). This problems begins at ages as young as 12 and continues to grow. The question is always brought up as to how the minors get the alcohol in the first place. Majority of teens have easy access to alcohol, whether it is at a party or their parent’s liquor cabinet. Another popular way is by using a fake ID. What teens do not understand is by using their fake ID, they are causing the store to illegally sell to them and put the store in danger of losing their liquor licenses. Parents are another source of alcohol. Nearly one in four teens, and one in three girls, say their own parents have given them alcohol (“Teen Alcohol Access”). This could lead to excessive fines and possibly jail time. The point to get across is that teens do not realize drinking

From the stereotypical teen parties in the classic movies with the red solo cup, and the “make sure you don't leave your cup sitting out like that” to pressuring one another “just take a few sips, it won't hurt you” phrases. It's all fun and games, but what they don't show is the aftermath and how behind it all is the issues that ends all the fun and games of drinking and being drunk. They miss the part showing the effects mentally/physical issues with your body, and all the accidents and the innocent people that end up injured from just that one little sip to a few cups that your so called close friend offered explaining “you'll be fine”, to when you realize what things could actually happen to you could effect your whole life. Teens dont understand what actually happens while being under the influence of alcohol. I feel there is always a solution to things like this situation being responsible, paying attention to what goes in your drinks, and not driving while intoxicated.

As you said, severe alcoholic intake during the younger years of life and even after can negatively affect the health of those nearing the last stages of life, but did you know small amounts of alcohol consumption in later adulthood can prove beneficial? Normally, a large consumption of alcohol can worsen symptoms of osteoporosis, which is already dangerous to the elderly, and increase risks of organ damage, cancers, strokes and cardiovascular conditions. However, according to the Mayo Clinic, one glass of wine approximately five fluid ounces a day or a twelve ounce bottle of beer for women and men in their senior years can actually reduce some of the risks normally associated with heavy drinking. This is not to say that seniors absolutely

We all hear on the news often that teenagers are being killed in traffic accidents while under the influence and most of us can agree that teenage drinking is a huge epidemic yet, teenagers continue to drink without fear of punishment. This issue hits home for most people whether it’s a friend, a classmate or a neighbor in the town you reside in. “Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 16 to 20 year old’s in the United States; nearly one-third of these crashes are alcohol-related” (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2008) What can we do as a society to minimize the frequency of this foolish and deadly behavior? If we had stricter punishments for teens consuming alcohol, we can reduce the fatalities as teens would

Do you know how many teens drink and drive and how many of them die. Lets focus on how many teens that drink underage. Since 1991 there were more teens drinking at that time then there was in 2005 yes there ain't as many teens that drink. 85% of the teens that do drink and drive have had more than one drink they have had up to five drinks. Teens that think they can drive after just having a beer or two are wrong, first of all you shouldn't drive if you had anything to drink at all. If you do have a drink you should call your parents if you are still living there with them and then hide the keys so you can't leave and go driving around while you are drinking. The teens that decide to drink and drive are most likely to get in a fatal crash 1 out of 5 teens that drink and drive are the ones that get into a crash. Teens start to at the age of 14 to 15 years old teens that are at the ages 16-20 are 17 times more likely to get in a crash.