5 Facts About College Students and Binge Drinking

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly half the population in the U.S. that consumes alcohol admits to binge drinking. Sadly, among college students it is the most common pattern of alcohol abuse.

Binge drinking is when women consume more than four drinks and men consume more than five drinks in a two hour time span. Interestingly enough, the majority of individuals who drink excessively in this manner are not alcoholics or alcohol dependent.

1. It is on the Decline

While 81 percent of college students report consuming alcohol, 36 percent report that they binge drink on a regular basis and all of them in the two weeks prior to the survey. However, it is on the decline among college students and it has been on the decline for almost a decade.

2. Health Conce
s Associated with College Binge Drinking

College binge drinking has been linked with the following health issues:
• Driving under the influence and auto accidents with injury
• Water accidents with injury which include boating and drowning
• Gun injuries
• Sexual assault and domestic violence
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Alcohol poisoning
• Unplanned pregnancy and children may be born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
• Heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure
• Liver disease
• Brain damage

3. If It's Legal It Must Be O.K.

Most college students believe that because they are legally allowed to buy and consume alcohol that it is not dangerous; however, alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and consuming too much alcohol in a brief period of time can result in serious health ramifications. Further, binge drinking, even if it only happened once, could result in alcohol poisoning which could lead to coma and death.

4. It Can Lead to Serious Legal and Financial Woes

College students who binge drink could find themselves in serious legal problems including losing their drivers license and maybe spend time in jail, or both. College students who binge drink could suffer damage to their relationships, experience problems at school or work and their binge drinking could be financially devastating.

5. Changing the Strategy Decreases the Occurrences

There are a number of strategies that have worked to keep binge drinking on the decline one of them is to set limits on how many drinks they are allowed in a night and no drinking before 7pm. By consuming alcohol at a slower pace, the individual is able to stay on track and maintain control.

Additionally, many college students have altered their choices for entertainment. Rather than spend the evening at the bar or local college pub, students are meeting for coffee or at the movie theater. Research shows that the healthier your life is the more likely you are to avoid stress and less likely to binge.