College Students and Binge Drinking: When a Rite of Passage Becomes a Path to Destruction
What do weekend parties, Greek life and football games have in common? For college students, the answer is obvious: alcohol. College life and binge drinking go hand in hand, but all too often the pairing ends tragically.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that nearly 40 percent of college students admitted to binge drinking in the past month. In other words, they had enough drinks in a two-hour period to result in blood alcohol concentration levels of 0.08 or more -- that's approximately four drinks for women and five drinks for men.
The consequences of these drinking habits: Thousands of assaults, accidents, injuries, arrests and even deaths every year:
-- Approximately 1,825 college students ages 18 to 24 die from alcohol-related injuries -- including car accidents -- annually.
-- About 696,000 students ages 18 to 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking each year.
-- Around 97,000 students between 18 and 24 reported alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape each year.
-- About 25 percent of college students reporting failing a class, missing a class or receiving poor grades as a direct result of drinking.
So the question becomes, why engage in such risky behavior? What is it about the college campus that makes it acceptable to throw back a drink so quickly? We can break it down to some key motivators:
[See: 14 Ways Alcohol Affects the Aging Process.]
Fitting In
When mom and dad drive away and a new freshman is left to figure out how to balance studying and partying, there's usually a bit of a learning curve. Many new students struggle to find a solid group of friends and, in order to fit in, they may put themselves in dangerous situations. According to a 2011 study, nearly 75 percent of college students reported drinking to break the ice and enhance social activity. In other words, meeting new people can be difficult, and drinking helped students come out of their shells.
Sports and College Pride
Alcohol and sports have always seemed to go hand in hand -- just take a look at the amount of beer, liquor and wine commercials that play during an average football game. On campus, pre-gaming and tailgating before a game is common practice. The accepted behavior sets a dangerous scene for students who may drink in excess for two to three hours before a game, continue drinking during the game and then party even harder when the game is over. Knocking back five drinks in two hours isn't too difficult to fathom when it's an all-day event.
Greek Life
Movies like "Old School," "Animal House" and "Neighbors" connect Greek life with hard partying and hard drinking. When individuals who may already have an established pattern of drinking join a group that practically condones heavy drinking as part of rituals and activities, the consequences can be disastrous.
[See: 7 Health Risks of Binge Drinking You Can't Ignore.]
Preventing Binge Drinking
Understanding the "why" of binge-drinking is a solid first step in curbing its hold on students, but that's just the beginning. It falls to both the institutions of higher learning and to parents to ensure that real change occurs. The New York Times reports that fewer than half of colleges consistently enforce their alcohol policies at tailgates, in dormitories and at fraternity and sorority houses. Universities and colleges failing to provide punishments or consequences for such dangerous behaviors don't help the on-campus drinking problem. If students know they can have a kegger without getting caught or keep several handles or vodka hidden in a closet and receive a slap on the wrist if they're found, what's the big deal? What incentive is there to stop partying?
Additionally, many students who come to college with already established drinking habits may have gotten a boost from parents. According to a study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, children who had tasted alcohol by the sixth grade were about five times more likely to have a full drink by the time they were in high school and four times more likely to binge drink. In other words, the harmless sip of wine or beer given to a 12-year-old at a family party could actually do damage in the long run.
[See: 10 Gross Things You Should Stop Doing in College.]
Depicting binge drinking as normal and even funny in movies and on television, at home and on campus all contribute to injury, death and assault. Teaching consequences and responsibility before a student ever sets foot on a college campus may help to eventually lessen the sad statistics associated with this dangerous rite of passage.
As Executive Director of Beach House Center for Recovery, Robert Yagoda brings more than 10 years of combined clinical and administrative experience in facility-delivered, drug and dual diagnosis treatment. Robert is a licensed mental health counselor and certified addictions professional. What motivates him most is seeing clients make groundbreaking strides in recovery, knowing he was part of their growth and success.
