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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