Essay, Research Paper: College Drinking

College Drinking
College drinking is a major problem throughout the world. Studies have found that a large
number of college students experience alcohol related problems. A recent study found that almost
thirty percent (30%) of college students complained of loss of normal functioning of certain parts
of the body after they had been drinking. Another study discovered that males consumed twice as
much alcohol then females in 1983 and 1988, concluding that males drink more heavily than
females (Corbin 1).
There are many reasons why people drink and different consequences for each reason.
Self-esteem is one reason why college students drink. If they don't feel good about themselves, or
feel they are doing poorly in college, they may turn to alcohol to try to get rid of their problems
for a short period of time. Family problems may also lead students to drink. Another reason for
college drinking is that the individual feels that he or she needs to fit into a particular group. They
feel that if they drink then others will accept them as part of their group. Some students reported
drinking heavily once or twice a week in order to relieve the stress of school and their personal
life. Lastly, many students drink just to drink and have fun (Hingson 1).
During an interview, one student recalled the following: "My roommate had a drinking
contest with her boyfriend. They'd each had five shots of Wild Turkey, two beers and then started
a 'power hour' which consists of one shot of beer per minute for sixty minutes. She said that her
roommate began to look ill. She then laid down and began throwing up which lasted for two
hours straight. She then rolled over and almost choked on her own vomit" (Hingson 2).

The effects of alcohol on students can greatly affect them for the rest of their lives. For
instance, drinking too much alcohol can either damage the brain for a short period of time or may
damage it permanently. Also, consuming too much alcohol can lead to death (Meilman 2).
I feel that if you are going to drink, than you should be responsible enough to make sure
that nothing will happen. We all have our limits on how much we can handle drinking, so take the
responsibility to stop drinking before it is too late.
Corbin, William R.; McNair,Lily D.; Carter James. http://firstsearch.oclc.org:3051/F...ml/fs_fulltext.htm%22:/fstxt36.htm
Hingson, Ralph W.
http://firstsearch.oclc.org:3051/F...ml/fs_fulltext.htm%22:/fstxt20.htm
Meilman, Philip W.; Presley, Cheryl A.; Cashin, Jeffrey R. http://firstsearch.oclc.org:3051/F...ml.fs_fulltext.htm%22:/fstxt32.htm


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