Prevalence of Alcohol Abuse in Young College Students

The prevalence of alcohol abuse in young college students is unsurprisingly high considering the glamorization of alcohol as part of the college experience. Movies, films, radio shows, television and other types of entertainment portray the ritualistic consumption of alcohol by college students as comedic and light-hearted, while few people understand the true repercussions this brings. Drinking by young students results in rapes, assaults, alcohol poisoning, emergency room visits, car accidents and even death. Additionally, binge drinking also has social, academic and occupational penalties that can affect a student for the rest of their life. In order to mitigate these risks, understanding how prevalent this problem is will be critical to preventing serious consequences. Alcohol abuse by college students isn't just common – in many schools and universities it is a tradition. This is reflected in a college based drinking culture that binges on alcohol at frat or dorm parties, at sporting or other school-sponsored events and in the general public. Alcohol infects nearly every part of college life to the point that some students accept its place as a matter of course. This results in the alienation of students that do not drink or use drugs, as well as pressure on such individuals to partake in ritualistic drinking. Unfortunately, many students bend to this pressure as it often comes on top of other pressures that college students must face. Full and even part-time students are often over-worked, over-studied and stressed by challenging course loads, work or internships, and balancing responsibilities with socializing. These stresses can lead some students to turn to alcohol or even drugs as a coping mechanism. And with so many other students abusing substances or alcohol already, those who do not can become socially outcast, which adds even more stress to students who are often operating at their maximum capacity to handle it. Some students abuse alcohol for issues entirely unrelated to their academic life. Students with certain mental and emotional conditions like multiple personality disorder, bipolar disorder and PTSD often struggle with substance abuse or alcohol abuse issues. For some students alcoholism can be genetic, while others may have started drinking before they entered college. All of these issues combine to create a college landscape that is rife with abuse of alcohol by young students. Donna Leinwand writes in a 2007 USA Today article: "Nearly half of America's 5.4 million full-time college students abuse drugs or drink alcohol on binges at least once a month . . ." If correct this figure is even more troubling considering that it's unlikely that 100% of students will respond positively to alcohol abuse surveys – even if they do drink and even if the surveys are anonymous. Many students fear for their careers and their academic futures and feel they cannot afford to disclose this type of information. And because many students combine drinking with illicit drug use, there's all the more reason to maintain secrecy. If you or someone you care about is a college student struggling with a drinking or substance abuse problem, you can get help right now – for free, and at with no further obligation. Just use the links below.

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