Alcohol Use Among College Students

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ALCOHOL USE AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS According to a 2009 study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, each year, more than 1,825 college students die from alcohol-related accidents and nearly 600,000 are injured while drunk. Another 696,000 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking and 97,000 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape. (Dejong, W., Larimer, M.E., Wood, M.D., and Hartman, R.) In college, beer is typically cheap and easily attainable even for underage students. All too often, drinking gets out of control. This is a problem not only for students but also for the University and the Community as well. This paper examines the culture of alcohol consumption in college, its effects on college students and the strategies that colleges can employ for developing more targeted, evidence-based interventions that help students drink in less risky ways. Of course, college is a new and exciting time for students with new found independence and freedom-a time for young adults to explore all that life has to offer and really discover who they are and where they fit in to this world. For many, it’s their first time being away from home and living on their own. This can be lonely, overwhelming and unsettling without the support, connections and security from home. Students are more vulnerable and can feel a greater need to fit in with those around them. Drinking can make them feel more outgoing and relieve stress. It is one of the many social pressures that college students are faced with on a daily basis. The first six weeks of enrollment are critical to first-year student success. Because many students initiate heavy drinking during these early days of college, the potential exists for excessive alcohol consumption to interfere with successful adaptation to campus life. The transition to college is often so

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