The issue of binge drinking has been a problem on college campuses for decades. Binge drinking has many horrible effects, but the problem starts with the causes for it. If the causes could be controlled then the issue would not get out of hand. Many college students give different causes for their drinking problems, and experts on the subject have their explanations as well (Courtney & Polich, 2009). The causes of underage drinking include peer pressure, family history, low self-esteem, and of course curiosity (Courtney & Polich, 2009).
The people that binge drink the most have more severe problems. These people are more likely, than people who do not drink excessively, to miss class, get behind in their homework or class assignments, involve themselves with sexual activity, not using protection during sexual activity, getting caught by campus security, or maybe even wounded, or seriously injured. “Such heavy alcohol use among American college students has received considerable attention because of high alcohol-related morbidity and mortality is widely considered a public health concern with serious immediate and long-term consequences” (Saylor, 2011). Many college campuses have considered taking serious actions to control the behavior of college students that are binge drinking. Administrators on college campuses have establish a zero tolerance policy for alcohol so that the campus is a dry campus.
Clearly there are many reasons why drinking age should be lowered to 18, the most obvious being that too many people are drinking before they are 21. Liquor stores, bars, and clubs all want to make money, and if they can get away with selling to underage teens, then they will. By now is it obvious that the law has not succeeded in preventing the under-21 group from drinking? There are multiple facts that provide reasons why the
Should I drink tonight? All my friends drink I might as well join.” Every high school student goes through an experience relating to this event. Underage drinking is a problem in society today, just how big is the problem, the consequences of partaking in underage drinking, why are kids doing it and what can the society as a whole do to reduce the issue. Everyone knows underage drinking is a problem in the US, but just how big is the problem? “Alcohol is so popular that it is the most common used and abused drug among youth in the United States, more than
Lowering the Drinking Age Would be a Mistake There has been an ongoing controversy in the United States for many years on whether or the not the drinking age should be lowered to 18 or stay at 21. Underage drinking arises in high school and only continues to get worse in college. Students are continuing buying alcohol through fake identification cards, getting into bars and drinking illegally. This process is completely unsafe but it is not as dangerous as to what would happen if the drinking age was lowered to 18. Various individual s such as students and adults think that lowering the drinking age would have a positive effect more than a negative one.
No longer restricted by rules and regulations imposed by their parents, students often use their independence irresponsibly, engaging in reckless drinking habits. As a result of the high drinking age, many students face their first time drinking with no sense of how to drink responsibly. To make matters worse, the majority of college students are underage, as typical freshman, sophomores and juniors fall between the ages of 18 and 20. According to the New York Times, college binge drinking is exacerbated by the restrictive legal drinking age of 21. Relatively new, inexperienced drinkers dominate the college campus, leading to a threatening culture of extreme
Troubling Causes of Binge Drinking in College Binge drinking in college students has always been an issue and the contributing factors include: college students feeling that drinking large amounts of alcohol makes them socially acceptable amongst their peers and in turn makes them happier students, alcohol is more accessible on college campuses, and the stress of academic failure. Unfortunately those same college students do not recognize that binge drinking ends up affecting their grade point averages and their inhibitions. Binge drinking has so many negative effects, but in recent research by the ABC News Medical Unit, it has been confirmed that many college students who abuse alcohol are much happier. Binge drinking is more common in those students who have lower social status such as homosexuals, women, and/or non Greek students. Reports have shown that drinking has made many of these students socially popular and the “life” of the party.
Plus teens wouldn’t be as broke, because they are not getting in trouble by the cops and getting minors. By getting a minor, it can ruin their whole life. If one got a minor in college, it may prevent them from getting a very good job in the future, it they were to look at their record. Which they may think is very sad, because one mistake when someone is young can ruin their whole life. But people that vouch for the drinking age to be lowered to 18 tend to forget that the body and brain is not fully developed
As stated in the textbook, Sociology Now, “Around thirty-one percent of college students qualify for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse and over six percent of students for a diagnosis of alcohol dependency”. Many of the problems with alcohol abuse on college campuses in America is due to the institution of binge drinking at parties as well as “kick-backs”. Kick-backs are a smaller and more toned down party, that usuallyjust consists of close friends. Binge drinking is the consumption of large amounts of alcohol in a short amount of time; it is defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row for males and four or more drinks for females (Kimmel). Due to this widespread phenomenon of binge drinking, American college students spend an average of over 5.5 billion dollars a year on alcohol.
Elevated liver enzymes indicating liver damage have been found in some adolescents who drink alcohol. Young drinkers who also shown elevated liver enzymes are subjected to be overweight or obese do to modern levels of drinking. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, drinking too much, slows bodily functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing to a dangerous level, causing the drinker to lose consciousness, which can result in alcohol poisoning. Alcohol has harmful effects on developing brain cells and bodies. Heavy drinking during adolescence years, when the brain is still developing causes lasting impairment functions such as memory, coordination, and motor skills.