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How to Stop Binge Drinking in Colleges? – A Student’s Perspective

Posted on Sep 28, 2011

A lot of attention has been directed towards the issue of binge drinking on college campuses. However the students perspective on the effects of binge driving can hardly be found. Binge drinking has been defined by some as “people drinking an extremely large amount of alcohol in a small amount of time”, but there is no universally agreed upon definition of binge drinking. This is a cause of concern as the underlying causes and solutions to control binge drinking can only be devised once the term has been defined.

Binge Drinking Is Not a Simple Notion to Understand For Students

To date, the number of drinks one must consume in one sitting for it to be regarded as binge drinking incident have not been pinned down. Experts cannot agree on the volume of drinking and the time period for binge drinking episodes. Recently a survey of college students was published that stated that the majority of co-eds believe that binge drinking constitutes drinking 5 or more standard drinks for men, and 4or more for women, in one hour. However this definition is indistinct and there are variables that are not taken into account in this definition. Drunk driving can be defined by the results of a test of bodily fluids, or motor skills, however binge drinking avoids easy definitions.

The Dilemma in Passing Tough Binge Drinking Laws

If a college student attached a funnel to a keg of beer and attempted to consume its contents, would this be considered as binge drinking? Most people would think so. However, it does not fit the definition of binge drinking according to college students surveyed. Think about the unpredictable results of the above action. It could lead to anything from death via alcohol poisoning to a student waking up with a hangover the next morning. This example reveals how hard it is to pass a law against such actions with offers such mixed results after completion.

No Legislative Solution Possible to Curb Binge Drinking

Like students most lawmakers see the dilemma of this solution and realize how unfeasible it is to find a person guilty of binge drinking without an agreed upon definition of the problem. In addition, many students see binge drinking as a problem that only affects the drinker. If they get behind the wheel of a car, there are already laws that cover drunk driving; also there are laws against public drunkenness and underage drinking. Therefore, this problem seems to defy legislative solutions.

A Drinking Deterrence Approach– The Only Way to Stop Binge Drinking

Some experts suggest that in order to stop binge drinking, laws targeting drinking specifically will have better results. Considering this, many students have proposed that campuses begin efficient anti-alcohol consumption programs to curb binge drinking.

Community Effort is Required to Curb Binge Drinking

It appears that the solitary solution to stop binge drinking will be a change in societies’ view on consumption of alcohol in general. Limiting or ending this kind of conduct requires community effort as this is something that students cannot manage by themselves.

Alcohol, Drinking Law, Teenage Drunk Drivers, Underage DrinkingNo Comments »Alcohol Binge Drinking Colleges Drinking Laws

Causes of Drunk Driving in College Students

Posted on Aug 04, 2011

As college students make the transition from high school to campus life, they come across many physical, emotional, and lifestyle changes. New experiences such as increased independence and the stress of new environments make them susceptible to substance abuse of various sorts. Abusing alcohol and drunk driving in college students need to be examined to determine its cause in an effort to reduce the phenomena.

Increased Rates of Drinking and Driving in College Students

It has been documented that college students have increased rates of drinking and driving when compared to the general population in America. Drinking and driving is one of the most widespread and severe alcohol-related issues encountered by American college students.

Adolescence Risky Behavior – A Cause for Drunk Driving

Researchers have established that the youth tends to involve in riskier behavior throughout adolescence. This risky behavior may extend to alcohol experimentation at levels that are beyond the norm. This may explain college students’ increased propensity to drink and drive.

Physical Cause of College Student Drunk Driving

Young people also have a reduced tolerance to alcoholic beverages. Factors like lower body weight and reduced fat to muscle ratios in youth increase the negative effect of alcoholic beverages. Put this together with the increase in college drinking and it will inevitably leads to elevated levels of drinking and driving.

Environmental Cause of Drinking and Driving in College Students

Drinking and driving can also be contributed by environmental factors such as peer pressure and a permissive attitude towards alcohol in a college student’s parents. The environmentally caused behaviors can be a sign of the multifaceted relationship between the emotional development of college students and the values instilled in them by their environment. For instance, college students that have parents and peers who drink heavily, and they see drinking as a socially acceptable past time, are more likely to drink and drive than someone of the opposite orientation.

Media Promotion of Alcohol’s Affect on Drunk Driving in College Students

Media influences can also be a cause of drinking and driving in college students. These days, drinking is heavily promoted in;

• Movies
• Television
• Radio
• Billboards
• Online

The effect of this promotion begins well before a youth enters a college and the freedom that college life provides may just be the triggering mechanism for drinking and driving and other destructive behaviors in college students.

Drunk Driving in Society

Alcohol is commonly accessible and forcefully promoted in America. Drinking also continues to be a standard part of American life and this extends to college life as well. The dangerous practice of drinking and driving will continue to be a problem among college students as long as this atmosphere persists. To address the causes of drunk driving in college students we must address the causes in the society as a whole, because the effect on one individual will undoubtedly affect the other.

DWI, Drinking Facts, Drunk Driving, Teenage Drunk Drivers, Underage Drinking1 Comment »college student drunk driving Drinking Facts driving while intoxicated Drunk Driving DWI

Do Alcoholic Parents Lead to Alcohol Abuse in Children?

Posted on Aug 01, 2011

Everyone knows that parents are a vital component to rising healthy children. Children look to their parents for guidance, nurturing, love, and sustenance. If a child’s parents use alcohol then it is logical to infer that this child will also abuse alcohol when he is older.

Factors that Lead To Alcohol Abuse

It is known that alcohol abuse can be hereditary. It can also be passed along by a child’s environment and the effects of a society in which a child is raised. All of these developmental issues increase the chances of a child being an alcohol abuser.

Parents and the Trail to Alcohol Abuse

These are not the only factors; however, they are the most important. They are the common indicator in most cases of people that abuse alcohol. In the majority of instances, the trail to alcohol abuse begins at home with one or both parents being alcoholics.

Secondary Factors that Lead to Alcohol Abuse

Societal and environmental factors that include peer pressure and alcohol advertisements are usually secondary issues that increase a problem but the root-cause of the problem begins with the way alcohol is used in the child’s home environment.

Children of Alcohol Abusers are More Susceptible

Not all children that grow up in a family with parents that abuse alcohol are affected by this.However, statistics show that alcohol abuse is passed along from parents to children. The children of alcohol abusing parents are more susceptible to the dangers presented by society and media that promotes the abuse of alcohol.

Children of Alcohol Abusers – Attitude about Drinking

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reports that youngsters who see their parents drink, will be predisposed to the attitude that drinking is harmless. These children also begin to consume alcohol at an earlier age. Because of this, there is a great chance that these children will abuse alcohol even before they are adults. Parents that abuse alcohol will have a big influence on the drinking behavior of their off-springs. The role they play is very important in shaping the way their children think about alcohol and drinking habits. The parental influences can be a negative motivator or a positive one. Some children may grow up with a negative attitude about drinking after witnessing the trials and tribulations of their parents. However, usually children follow their parent in dinking behaviors.

Children Introduction to Alcohol

In many households, alcohol is introduced to children by parents. Many children in these circumstances get their first taste of liquor from adults,administered either through social religious observations or through some strange habit.

Alcoholic Parents Lead To Alcohol Abusing Children

Alcoholic Parents that drink heavily, harm the lives of their families and offspring in American society. They damage the lives the children who then are predisposed to alcohol abuse and other developmental issues. These children carry these scars and then pass them on to the next generation.

Alcohol Abuse, Teenage Drunk Drivers, Underage Drinking3 Comments »Alcohol Abuse Parental Guidance