Why do our College Students Drink?
The answers are probably many, but the simplest answer is this: Because they can.
Abusing alcohol is easy to do. Few immediate penalties for excessive drinking, repeat offenders not being disciplined, parents not being told about their children’s drinking activities, students getting mixed messages from the college administration about alcohol, students having seen their parents drinking alcohol in an careless manner, students not being educated about the long-term harmful consequences of alcohol abuse, there being few alcohol-free social and leisure activities that are eye-catching to students, minors or inebriated students being served alcoholic beverages by the local drinking establishments, and the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities not being monitored all lead to drinking and excessive drinking becoming just one more drink away.
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.
It needs to begin with more than just education. While making students knowledgeable to the dangers out there, especially in regards to the prevention of drug or alcohol abuse, it is not the only answer to the struggle with these issues at our colleges.
Proactive and Reactive Measures. With respect to alcohol abuse in higher education, many reactive AND proactive measures have been initiated at some colleges and universities that have reduced the availability, acceptability, and irresponsibility of alcohol use on and off campus. The result: a noticeable, if not a significant reduction in alcohol-related problems manifested 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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