Why do our College Students Drink?
Posted by
patrick
The simplest answer to this is they most obvious, it's because they can.
Alcohol abuse is an easy trap to fall into. Repeat offenders are not disciplined, there are so few immediate penalties for extreme drinking, students get varied messages from the college administration about alcohol, parents are not notified about their children's drinking activities, students are not told about the long-term negative outcomes of alcohol abuse, students have seen their parents drinking alcohol in an reckless manner, minors or intoxicated students are served alcoholic beverages by the local drinking establishments, there are few alcohol-free social and leisure activities that are attractive to students, and the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities are not monitored are all reasons leading to not only drinking but excessive drinking.
What Draws Students to Abuse Alcohol? When peer pressure or influence is added to the equation, when it is disregarded that drinking alcohol temporarily removes a person from his or her problems, when ignoring the belief or perception that drinking alcohol makes it easier to socialize with potential dating or sexual partners, when it is so acceptable to engage in activities that emphasize the drinking of alcohol, when the "good feelings" or the "fun" of getting an alcohol high or buzz are not considered, and when the party atmosphere at college is expected by students--it becomes more clear regarding what causes college students to abuse alcohol.
Education is not enough. While drug and alcohol abuse prevention is the first step, education alone is not the only answer that an be implemented in the war against college drug and alcohol abuse. But what are some of the other means by which to get the message about self-destructive behaviors?
We must employ both proactive and reactive measures. Many proactive and reactive steps have been put in place at many colleges and universities that have lessened the availability, acceptability, and irresponsibility of alcohol use on and off campus. The result is this is a noticeable if not significant decrease in alcohol related issues started by students.
What are some more of these measures? Designating immediate consequences for excessive drinking, punishing repeat alcohol abuse offenders, notifying parents about their children's drinking activities, ending the mixed messages by college administrators about lcohol (for example, removing alcohol advertisements from stadiums and from sports brochures), educating students about the long-term harmful consequences of alcohol abuse, increasing alcohol-free social and recreational activities that are considered desirable to students, having college administrators talk to the owners of local drinking establishments so that minors and/or intoxicated students are not served alcohol, and monitoring the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities all serve to assist in decreasing the rate of college drinking.
Medical Research and Treatment Are Not Enough. I assert, however, that the above proactive and reactive measures, most of which are NOT education-based, are needed to compliment educational approaches. Why? I am enough of a realist to believe that even if medical research eventually discovers viable ways to escape addiction and if the medical community is able to offer effective treatment to all who need it, there will always be those who, for whatever reason, will choose to disregard medical warnings, ignore their health, and who will discount common sense as they involve themselves in alcohol and/or drug abuse.
Alcohol abuse is an easy trap to fall into. Repeat offenders are not disciplined, there are so few immediate penalties for extreme drinking, students get varied messages from the college administration about alcohol, parents are not notified about their children's drinking activities, students are not told about the long-term negative outcomes of alcohol abuse, students have seen their parents drinking alcohol in an reckless manner, minors or intoxicated students are served alcoholic beverages by the local drinking establishments, there are few alcohol-free social and leisure activities that are attractive to students, and the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities are not monitored are all reasons leading to not only drinking but excessive drinking.
What Draws Students to Abuse Alcohol? When peer pressure or influence is added to the equation, when it is disregarded that drinking alcohol temporarily removes a person from his or her problems, when ignoring the belief or perception that drinking alcohol makes it easier to socialize with potential dating or sexual partners, when it is so acceptable to engage in activities that emphasize the drinking of alcohol, when the "good feelings" or the "fun" of getting an alcohol high or buzz are not considered, and when the party atmosphere at college is expected by students--it becomes more clear regarding what causes college students to abuse alcohol.
Education is not enough. While drug and alcohol abuse prevention is the first step, education alone is not the only answer that an be implemented in the war against college drug and alcohol abuse. But what are some of the other means by which to get the message about self-destructive behaviors?
We must employ both proactive and reactive measures. Many proactive and reactive steps have been put in place at many colleges and universities that have lessened the availability, acceptability, and irresponsibility of alcohol use on and off campus. The result is this is a noticeable if not significant decrease in alcohol related issues started by students.
What are some more of these measures? Designating immediate consequences for excessive drinking, punishing repeat alcohol abuse offenders, notifying parents about their children's drinking activities, ending the mixed messages by college administrators about lcohol (for example, removing alcohol advertisements from stadiums and from sports brochures), educating students about the long-term harmful consequences of alcohol abuse, increasing alcohol-free social and recreational activities that are considered desirable to students, having college administrators talk to the owners of local drinking establishments so that minors and/or intoxicated students are not served alcohol, and monitoring the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities all serve to assist in decreasing the rate of college drinking.
Medical Research and Treatment Are Not Enough. I assert, however, that the above proactive and reactive measures, most of which are NOT education-based, are needed to compliment educational approaches. Why? I am enough of a realist to believe that even if medical research eventually discovers viable ways to escape addiction and if the medical community is able to offer effective treatment to all who need it, there will always be those who, for whatever reason, will choose to disregard medical warnings, ignore their health, and who will discount common sense as they involve themselves in alcohol and/or drug abuse.
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