Emerging Adulthood : Developing Adults Experience Alcohol

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

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.

Wechsler takes on a more educational approach with statistics such as, “86 percent of college students drink” (Wechsler para. 8). Within the first few paragraphs, the researcher on alcohol and drug abuse expands his knowledge on college binge drinking and suggests that, “Parents who pay for college tuitions should demand a safe environment for their children” (Wechsler para. 11). Wechsler provides answers as to why college drinking is not widely acknowledged.

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).

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 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.

By the time a parent sends their teenager off to college, chances are that they have already not only had their first drink, but have also been drunk numerous times. When an individual enters college the binge drinking doesn’t decrease, but increases. A plethora of variables have an effect on how college students view binge drinking and their attitude towards how much an individual binges drink, but three that will be stressed are gender, race, and age of first alcoholic consumption. The following articles highlight the correlations between the three variables in regards to the evolution of individuals drinking habits, attitudes about binge drinking in college, how the age of first consumptions determines how severe of a binge drinker and individual will become,

College students, drinking heavily and using drugs is a persistent problem despite widespread initiatives that promote and limit drinking during and after college. Drinking in college is perceived to enhance socialization, bonding, and make one less inhibited. College, for some is characterized by a high level of freedom and low level of responsibility, and has been seen as time-out from the “real world”. Because many college students think this way, heavy drinking and narcotic use is permissible. Most students who participate in such behavior, seem to expect their future lifestyle to be burdensome and tedious, planning for the future with careers and children; great memories for the good times associated with drug use and drinking is expected.

The article entitled “A Gender-Specific Measure of Binge Drinking among College Students” ( will be referred to as article #1)is an investigation of the relationship between the volume of alcohol consumed and the occurrence of alcohol related problems among males and females in college. The sample used in this study came from 140 colleges throughout 40 states and it consisted of a total of 17,592 students. These students were evaluated via self - administered surveys which were mailed to the colleges. The final sample consisted of 12,243 students who responded to drinking within the last 30 days before taking the survey.

To achieve this goal, I have organized my paper into five main sections. In my first section I discuss the cognitive development that makes college students more susceptible to excessive binge drinking. In the second section, I discuss the social interactions that promote social drinking among college students. In the third section, I discuss the dangers and life long detriment to physical and emotional aspects in life. In the fourth section, I provide possible solutions to help prevent binge drinking among college students. I end my paper with a fifth section where I discuss the positive effects of drinking, when in moderation and I conclude with a works cited page with my ten sources on

Alcohol drinking on college campus greatly harms health, studies, relationships and selection making of students that are strongly affecting our society and reputation of the college life. Drinking in college is becoming a larger problem affecting our over all society in America. Yearly a sizable amount of high school graduates go off to college, leaving their families behind to attend college. Some may attend school close to home or in a different section of the state or country. These college students face bigger issues than within the classroom. They face challenges of drinking, drugs, and peer pressure. This paper will discuss the pressures placed upon college students and some contributing factors with the use of alcohol, and also the consequences that come along with it. Daily college students face pressure from their piers. Primarily the most common pressure received from peers involves the use of alcohol. Students feel pressure through their classmates to have fun during the semester, though they are not the legal age. Students may also feel pressured by peers to follow fraternities and sororities. Such groups typically are known for excessive binge drinking and partying. Students are also influenced to drink to make sure they “ fit in” with a specific cluster of individuals. It’s essential to hunt down the causes of school drinking, and also the effects alcohol has on an individual.

Alcohol has become commonplace on college campuses, and much of it’s use can be traced back to various peer, parent, and personality influences. For some people, alcohol use begins long before they reach college. During adolescence, alcohol use is largely attributed to the novelty of the activity, but soon other influences quickly encourage increased use (Thompson, Roemer, & Leadbeater, 2015). Once students enter college, unfamiliar environments and peer groups become a large influence on alcohol use. In this setting, alcohol is mainly used in social settings for enjoyment or enhancement. Regardless of individual alcohol habits, research shows a general increase in alcohol use upon entering college (Fairlie, Wood, & Laird, 2012) until the age

Amie said that many college students turn to alcohol because they feel stressed about school, homesick, etc. College students turn to drinking alcohol because it makes them feel good and help forget about bad days. Some tend to consume alcohol more than others but it all depends on the student’s personality. Different behaviors can be something such as a person is all happy and smiles in front of his friends but once he gets to his dorms by himself he turns into a different person that no one sees. These people are called “Closet Drinkers”. Another example would be a person consumes alcohol to build up courage to impress a girl or boy they might like. But as for a behavioral stand point they want to talk to that person but can only do it if the person is under the influence of

“Let’s meet up and indulge in a little drinking this weekend!!” That statement is one heard among the college community nationwide nowadays. Binge drinking with others to gain new friendships, meet people, among other reasons, on college campuses is the thought process countless students believe today. “The Harvard School of Public Health found in 1993 that binge drinking is widespread on American campuses, particularly among members of fraternities and sororities (Bruffee, 1999).” If college students think binge drinking and partying is “cool” and the best way to meet new friends, they need to think again! Binge drinking is a career killer with terrible consequences. Finding and receiving the available support when it becomes out of control is the key to gaining a successful college education and finishing school with a degree.