She states “The first large-scale examination of alcohol uses among college students began in 1993. Run by Henry Wechsler, a social psychologist at the Harvard University School of Public Health, the College Alcohol Study surveyed 17,000 students at 140 colleges on why and how they drink” (McMurtrie). This also shows the ongoing battle colleges have had trying to control or at least maintain college students drinking. McMurtrie also states “Educators and researchers who lived through this period say a combination of exhaustion, frustration, inertia, lack of resources, and campus and community politics derailed the national conversation about college drinking. Taking on the problem proved tougher than anyone had thought” (McMurtrie).
In the article “College Presidents Seek Debate on Drinking Age” the issue of lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 is strongly discussed by college presidents and various organizations and Universities. Even though both parties agree that alcohol abuse in colleges is an extensive problem in schools around the country, college organizations are debating with lawmakers to lower the drinking age. With the intention to reduce driving accidents and deaths due to alcohol abuse, the drinking age was elevated to 21, creating the rejection of many college students and administrators in the country. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would not have much impact in the attitude of young people since there is no much difference in maturity in 3 years. This statement is supported by a Duke University sophomore from Singapore, where the drinking age is lower.
The Addiction Center also states that because of this Greek Life members are more at risk to have substance abuse problems. Drinking is a problem within fraternities mainly because of the party scene. Some people who join Greek Life only view it as a way to partake in wild experiences. They view Greek Life as a way to party, to drink underage, and meet members of the opposite sex. Due to this, the true meaning of what Greek Life is and stands for has become misconstrued, and gets farther from its true meaning with every
Most people would probably associate college age men and women with drinking alcohol in excessive amounts. This is a typical stereotype of college students. It seems that a lot of college students just assume the responsibility of drinking because they are college students. This seems to be the norm. Thomas Vander Ven, in his book Getting Wasted, studied college students on three different campuses in order to decipher the mystery behind the reason college students tend to drink (Vander Ven 2011).
Journal 5 The author, Sabrina Erdely, begins the article by expressing all of the ways college students spend their time on weekends, as well as most weeknights. All of the activities she listed had one thing in common: alcohol. Erdely then goes into detail describing just how important getting drunk on the weekends is to students. “The challenge to drink to the very limits of one’s endurance has become a celebrated staple of college life. In one of the most extreme reports on college drinking thus far, a 1997 Harvard School of Public Health study found that 43 percent of college students admitted to binge drinking in the proceeding two weeks.
Should College Allow Drinking in Campus? In April 2002 The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism(NIAAA) published a report, updated in 2005, that suggests a strong relationship between alcohol and other drug abuse and variety of negative consequences of students who used alcohol and drug. The report estimates that each year 1,700 college students die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes. In addition, it further estimates that alcohol is involved in 599,000 unintentional injuries, 696,000 assaults, and 79,000 cases of sexual assault and acquaintance rape among college students. According to a number of national surveys, about 40% of college and university students engage in heavy episodic
He states, “Most college kids spend more time drinking than studying. And they still get mostly A’s” (1). In other words, college students are spending their time developing a habit of drinking versus studying or learning. He also argues that the only way to solve this issue is by “implementing policies or guidelines” (2). It has taken a lot of effort from faculty and students to get rid of grade inflation, but schools such as Wellesley College and Reed College have been successful.
(White) Also, “Consequences of college drinking include missed classes and lower grades, injuries, sexual assaults, overdoses, memory blackouts, changes in brain function, lingering cognitive deficits, and death” (White) Finally White says, “When the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) issued its first report on alcohol misuse by college students, research advances have transformed our
The demographic, academic and economical factors frame this model to present relevant concerns the United States Department of Health & Human Services has regarding excessive drinking. This model represent (but not limited to) the HHS focus of study among excessive drinking in adolescents between the ages of 12-20 who have reported drinking in the past month. Race Ethnicity - The fastest growing ethnic groups regarding excessive alcohol consumption in U.S is Whites and Asian American, respectfully. African Americans and Latinos have the lowest rate of monthly and heavy drinking. Among gender in adolescence men are more likely to drink than women and consume more alcohol overall.
where there were parents and teachers present. She also talks about how in her days, learning to drink socially and responsibly was part of her college experience, and it was at least partially supervised. They had pubs on campus, and the bartender was paid by the school to serve, and he was also responsible to cut off students who are overdoing it. Supervised drinking on college campuses was done with faculty and staff, who could model the appropriate alcohol-related
Again, students who graduate from high school or college are less likely to have an addiction with any substance, one of them being
In an article by David Skorton, previous president of Cornell University and avid anti-hazing activist, it is stated that “Nearly 2,000 alcohol related deaths occur each year among American college students.” He goes on to tell that at Cornell University were two to three times more likely to be involved in an access of alcohol consumption and drug use. (Skorton p. A23) Alcohol misuse can result in “risky sexual behaviors, [acting] irresponsibly at times, and [hurting] academic standing.” (Nuwer p. 57) Many times the abuse of alcohol can prove to be fatal, as it was in the case of Gabriel “Gabe” Higgins of the University of Texas.
This is understandable as often this is when students have moved away from home and have the freedom to do what they want without their parents present. Some high-risk drinking events tend to be more prevalent in young adulthood. For example, homecoming, athletic events, spring break, pregame partying, and graduations have all been associated with excessive drinking among college students. This goes to show how the younger generation is very willing to drink. In 2002 the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse issed a Call to Action to adress drinking on college campuses, based on findings of an expert panel.
Some might say that the use of alcohol is common place and nothing more than a stepping stone in the ritual of being a college student. The problem is the consequences of binge drinking and excessive drinking should not be accepted as “ritual” or common place. Some consequences are extremely problematic and not only impact the individual but have lasting consequences for the college environment in a global sense.
Teens and drinking have been an issue for some time and it continues to persist, attracting many young individuals. Whether it’s the pleasure or the ability to forget problems drinking as a teen has become a problem in society with many alcohol related issues. However, that sensation of being able to forget problems soon enters a cycle of many other issues such as consequences to the physical development and to the body itself, which is not able to handle the alcohol properly. In addition, soon the early admission of the depressant becomes and an addictive factor which can lead to alcoholism since the body constantly craves the substance. Teens and drinking has continued to progress over the years and the depressant has consumed many lives.
