College Binge Drinking Epidemic

Drinking on college campuses has become a huge problem. For example, in the 10th century only old people used to drink, but now students drink more than their parents. Students see their parents drinking, so they may think that drinking has no effect on health that anyone can drink so why can’t the students drink? Therefore, college students have been drinking alcohol since the 14th century. Barrett Seaman’s article “How Bingeing Became the New College Sport,” appearing in TIME magazine on August 29, 2005, explains how binge drinking is affecting college students. It also suggests that lowering the drinking age might help solve the problem of binge drinking. This article has much information on how and where students get drunk.

Since 1997, binge drinking has increased each year (Wechsler, Lee, & Kuo. 2010). Binge drinking is no stranger to San Jose State University as well as college campuses nationwide (Police Department, n.d.). Binge drinking has been on epidemic on college campuses and continues to grow over the course of time with alarming numbers of incidents that occur while under the influence. Since binge drinking is common on most college campuses, about 60% of students nationwide have stated that they have binge drank during their college years (College Drinking Fact Sheet, 2015).

First, colleges and universities are unaware that there is a problem within their institution. Second, the solution provided to stop binge drinking are to make students go to lectures or implement new rules. Lastly, due to the lack of enforcement on new policies made to regulate drinking among campuses, this solution does not make an impact. Wechsler believes that colleges have a responsibility to take action but the core of the problem is only sporadically touched. The author explains that the students should not be held responsible for their drinking but rather the institutions in which the incident took

“According to the CDC, about 90% of all teen alcohol consumption occurs in the form of Binge Drinking, which experts say peaks at the age of nineteen.” (qtd by Listfield). Binge Drinking is the consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. The author, Emily Listfield, defines that the standard alcohol consumption over a two hour period is considered to be four beers for women and five beers for men. This has become a great distraction for college students nationwide and a major dilemma on college campuses. Nearly two hundred thousand students visit emergency rooms each year due to the abuse of alcohol, and more than one thousand seven hundred students die. In the article “ The Underage Drinking Epidemic”, Listfield identifies the problems that underage drinking can cause, the dangers that could happen, and four solutions on what parents can do to keep their kids from 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

Students gain expectations to drink alcohol from each other, as they depend on it, pressure each other and face a new environment and a new social setting. When in college, a student does not have anyone looking after them and so they get free time and they do not know how to use it. They end up filling up their extra time, with going out to frat houses, bars, and or other house parties to drink. Students go from being in high school, where they have to be home by curfew and drinking is still sometimes and issues, to not having a curfew and not having someone wait until they get home that night to make sure they aren’t drinking.

Alcohol abuse is a serious health problem when it comes to college students. "The average amount of binge drinkers on college campuses is 50% of men and 39% of women" (<a href="http://www.oregoncounseling.org/ArticlesPapers/">http://www.oregoncounseling.org/ArticlesPapers/</a>). There are various reasons why students drink and serious short and long term effects on the body and mind. Alcoholism is a serious problem for college students and there are many actions being taken to try to lessen the problem among colleges throughout the country.

In recent years many universities have begun asking themselves, what can we do to solve the problem? Central Michigan University has alcohol policies for those that live in the dorms, first time that you are found drunk or alcohol is found in your room a fine of $100

We regret to inform the panel the evidence obtained in regards to binge drinking is inconclusive at this time. One study established 13.9% of first-year students who only admitted to a “drinking binge” episode only once in a period of two-weeks. According to the study; 14.8% of seniors also admitted to a “drinking binge” in the same two-weeks (Presley, Meilman, Cashin, & Lyerla, 1996). Therefore, no part or portion is distinct or distinguishable of either student(s) mentioned because seniors and first-year students than reported; were having between six and nine binge drinking episodes in a period of two-weeks (Presley, et al.). However, Engs, Hanson, and Diebold (1996) established binge drinking among seniors were fewer than among first-year students. In classical logic binge drinking studies occurred during college conclusively, so we can determine the research is reliable regards to negative results of said behavior. Academic grades, personal issues, overdosing, impaired driving, and sexual behaviors have proven to be a few of the negative effects of student binge drinking (Perkins, 2002). These consequences are

The consumption of alcohol as a habitual behavior has long been associated with the American collegiate experience, despite the many known negative consequences a student who partakes in drinking can encounter. Because of the danger drunken students pose to a college’s reputation and the safety of its surrounding areas, much research has been done concerning the collegiate party and drinking scenes. This research mostly studied the demographics of the student body, so strategies developed to curtail the illegal or overconsumption of alcohol could be targeted towards the specific groups that demonstrated the highest likelihood of participating in these acts. When the strategies were implemented, however, there was little decline in the number of college students who chose to party and drink (Vander Ven 2011). This failure did not point toward a flaw in the research data, but instead a lack of research into the benefits a collegiate drinker receives that are rewarding to the point he or she cannot resist. This is the topic of Getting Wasted: Why College Students Drink Too Much and Party So Hard by Thomas Vander Ven.

The objective of this essay was to “examine the extent of binge drinking by college students and the ensuing health and behavioral problems that binge drinkers create for themselves and others on their campus.” The results found in this study were the following: “Almost half (44%) of college students responding to the survey were binge drinkers, including almost one fifth (19%) of the students who were frequent binge drinkers. Frequent binge drinkers are more likely to experience serious health and other consequences of their drinking behavior than other students. Almost half (47%) of the frequent binge drinkers experienced five or more different drinking-related problems, including injuries and engaging in unplanned sex, since the beginning of the school year.” Not only does this impact the quality of education the students are receiving, but can be extremely detrimental to their health.

Alcohol use among college students has always been a popular subject among teachers, parents, researchers, and even students. The actual act of drinking alcohol is not necessarily the problem, whether legal or not. The main problem is the act of binge drinking of college students, of age or not. Drinking modest amounts of alcohol may have some consequences, but binge drinking has more negative consequences than normal modest drinking. There are many examples as to the consequences that binge drinking can cause to college student’s lives, but one of the main consequences that students face as a result of frequent drinking is poor academic final grades.

A dire problem that has been plaguing college campuses in this day of age is the epidemic of binge drinking among the students. Drinking has always been a casual happening in college from parties to bars, but the amount alcohol consumed by college students In one outing has become concerning. There are reasons why binge drinking has become so relevant in most colleges one of the biggest is the current drinking age in America is limited to age 21.

Drinking in college is a popular activity to take part in. However, that does not mean it is healthy or useful. Alcohol companies feed off college students. Their advertising is directed at underage drinkers, and many college students fall into that category. So, why do these young adults drink? The answer is in the ads, the alcohol companies are promoting fun times and joyous lives. Therefore, the underage students see drinking as a social norm and think they might even have a better life after they start drinking. Nonetheless, people know the cold hard truth about alcohol, it is an unhealthy and even deadly substance. Colleges need to fix their alcohol advertising and drinking problems by dropping their alcohol sponsors and promoting healthier lifestyles along with showing the students that you do not need to drink to become popular, which in turn eliminates underage drinking and the harm that goes along with alcohol consumption.