Drinking On College Campuses

Underage drinking is a problem within the US and has been for some time. No matter how hard many businesses try it still goes on because of the kid’s lucrative ways to obtain it. Many kids use fake IDs or have a person of age purchase it for them. This problem of alcohol abuse is most prominently seen it college. One college it often occurs at is Indiana University in Bloomington. The early habit of drinking alcohol can have many bad effects on one’s body at a young age and causes habits, decrease in grades, and other negative outcomes.

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).

Underage Drinking on College Campuses Everyday there are young adults drinking underage around the United states on and off college campuses. Even with a national drinking age and laws that govern that drinking age, young adults are still drinking. Many universities across the nation have tried to eliminate underage drinking, by creating a zero alcohol on campus policy. This policy pertains to all students whether of drinking age or not. The universities that create such policies are known to college students as a dry campus. The concept of a dry campus is to eliminate the access to alcohol to those students that are under age, drinking and driving, and binge drinking on campus. Campuses that are dry have the most restrictive alcohol

In order to safely lower drinking age, the federal government should instill more training courses over alcohol safety into the criteria in our nation's high schools. Along with the idea of providing more alcohol based education in the public school system, if students were to complete certain courses they should be eligible to apply for a drinker’s ID. In order to obtain a drinker's ID, 18 year old adults still in high school would be required to take courses such the chemistry of alcohol, the physical impacts to one's body as a result of alcohol abuse, and the consequences because of driving under the influence and possible addiction (“The Debate On Lowering The Drinking Age”). The chief of police in the college town of Boulder, Colorado, states that “The abuse of alcohol and the overconsumption of alcohol and DUI driving. Those are the areas we've gotta focus our efforts. Not on chasing kids around trying to give 'em a ticket for having a cup of beer in their hand" (“The Debate On Lowering The Drinking Age”). Even though the age restriction would be lifted, a drinker's ID may be revoked if tampered with. For example, if a young adult with a drinker’s ID drove while under the influence or bought alcohol for a minor then his ID would become invalid and ineligible to be reclaimed. Efforts by the United States government to put effective, drinker’s ID programs into action would stimulate teenagers to stop revolting against law enforcement and comply

College students have no parents to tell them that they cannot go to a party because there is going to be alcohol there. They have to take it upon themselves to make the decision whether they should go or not. They do not have mom and dad making decisions for them anymore. Environmental and peer pressure combined gets students to try the temptations of alcohol. There is not a weekend that goes by that that alcohol is not available to students.

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.

High school is over and it is your first time away form home, what are you going to do? The typical college student wants to party! Of the people that were surveyed over half believed that the legal drinking age should be lowered. [O’Kane 1] The legal age to drink in the United States is now 21 years old; college freshman, sophomores, and some juniors are not of the legal age to drink. This causes a problem on many campuses; several students are experiencing their first time away from parental care in a setting sinonomus with drinking and clubbing. Some feel pressure from family and friends to receive excellent grades while attending school, sometimes the pressure is too much and going out and

The drinking age in the United States is a contradiction. At the age of eighteen, one can drive a car, vote in an election, get married, serve in the military and buy tobacco products. In the United States you are legally an adult at eighteen. An eighteen-year-old, however, cannot purchase alcoholic beverages. The minimum drinking age should be lowered from twenty-one in the United States.

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.

Next, by lowering the drinking age, it would reduce college binge drinking by promoting safer drinking habits. “The problem here is obvious. If a 21-year-old woman overindulges at the bar, the bartender, friends, or even other patrons can encourage her to stop. If she becomes ill or injured, someone is there to help” (Hall). Drinking legally in public can be beneficial in saving lives and an overall sense of safety for young adults. A bartender is responsible for each person they serve and for their safety. If you had too much to drink at a party would your friends assume the responsibility of your well being? Ordinarily, a bartender will execute everything in their

The United States’ minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) of twenty one is almost a perfect example of a policy with unrealistic expectations and serious unintended consequences. The current policy that the United States has in effect criminalizes youth who consume alcohol at less than twenty one years of age. Young adults are going to drink under twenty one, so why shouldn’t the United States lower the MLDA to eighteen? Following Prohibition in 1933, many states made their MLDA twenty one. During the 1960’s and 1970’s, many states lowered it to eighteen to match the drafting age (Alcohol Policy MD). President Reagan passed The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 which required all states to raise their minimum purchase and public

Alcohol consumption is not illegal in the United States, unless people are under 21 years old. Almost every student in college campuses that is over 21 years old wants to drink alcoholic beverages. Some even think that alcohol should be allowed on college campus. However, if alcohol is allowed on campus, it could possibly impact under 21 years old students and other students who don’t drink in terms of academic development and students’ health. The truth is that drinking alcohol under 21 is illegal. People may say many college students drink anyway, but officially, it is against the law. Many college students smoke pot which is also illegal, but that does not mean campuses allow students to smoke up. Although students have many reasons to

An article called Why Haven’t Colleges Stopped Binge Drinking from the journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, provides information backing the stereotype about college students excessively partying. This article utilizes this stereotype to inform readers of the actual results. The information based on the research proves that approximately 40% of college students have consumed four or five drinks in a row in one night in the last 30 days. Binge drinking has become a popular aspect in college.

College life is filled with changes. It is filled with many new experiences. As college students, we are on our own, adults. As adults we are responsible for keeping up to date on information that affects us. One issue that affects college students nation wide is drinking. The current legal drinking age in the United States is twenty-one years of age. The Federal government raised the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 in 1984. Even with the current drinking age at twenty-one, many people under that age choose to drink anyway. In fact, a government survey from 1996 showed that 56% of high school seniors reported drinking in the last 30 days (Hanson). With so many underage drinkers, many people

Control theory: Legal drinking age in the United States is 21, but it does not mean that everyone under 21 obey by that rule. In parties, peer pressure is most powerful outer control in this case. Of course, he/she himself/herself would like to taste alcohol. On the other hand, in an adolescent’s mind, he/she does not want to break the law. These are inner controls.