According to a survey by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, almost 60 percent of college students ages 18 to 22 drank alcohol in the previous month, and almost two out of three of them engaged in binge drinking during that same time. Students attending schools with fraternities or prominent athletic programs tend to drink more than students at other types of schools. Alcohol consumption is also highest among students living in fraternities and sororities.
Drinking is often seen as part of the college experience. In fact, kids are at highest risk for binge drinking during the first six weeks of their freshman year. Students are out from under the eye of their parents, perhaps for the first time. They have plenty of unstructured time and generally attend a lot of social gatherings. They may believe that alcohol makes it easier to meet other people and have fun. The widespread availability of alcohol also contributes to the problem, as does inconsistent enforcement of underage drinking laws.
There can be serious consequences to both a student’s college career and long-term health. About one in four college students report academic consequences from drinking, such as missing class, falling behind, and doing poorly on exams or papers. Each year, about 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related injuries, such as motor vehicle crashes. 696,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking. 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 report experiencing alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.
It may take months or even years for some effects to present. Nearly 150,000 college students develop some type of alcohol-related health problem every year. This can include liver damage, high blood pressure, and inflammation of the pancreas. Furthermore, brain development continues well into a person’s twenties, and alcohol can affect this development, even causing memory lapses. College students who drink frequently and in large amounts are also more likely to develop a dependency on alcohol later in life.
The legal consequences of underage drinking are often completely ignored. Instead of being arrested and having to appear in court, students are often given over to university officials for discipline. They are generally not referred for alcohol screening or intervention, nor are their parents contacted. It is important to remember, however, that if a student is charged with underage drinking, especially if there was some kind of violence involved, their record can follow them beyond school and affect attempts to find a job.
At some colleges, the administrators may be reluctant to risk financial donations by taking on boosters and alumni who argue that drinking was part of their own college rite of passage. The community around the college can present its own problem, offering deeply discounted drinks and failing to check IDs.
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