Alcohol is the ingredient found in wine, beer, and other drinks that are fermented. It contains a chemical called ethanol, which is a product made from its fermentation. When consumed, it affects your liver and other parts of the body from low to severe cases. People drink to enjoy, socialize or to celebrate. Alcohol creates a strong effect on a person’s well-being and health when not taken care of. Still, there are huge resources, campaigns and organizations kept for the welfare of citizens in about what age, how much and how often an individual should drink, according to male or female.
Yet, there are huge issues regarding alcohol abuse, mainly on college campuses. Alcohol abuse is a pattern in which there is too much consumption of alcohol in a short amount of time and consuming it every day. All alcohol abusers are not always addicted to alcohol. They just typically binge drink who continue without no pause. Situations like these could lead an individual into the risk of alcohol poisoning or in severe cases, death. Alcohol abuse is one of the local issues on college campuses that students face. There are many arguments and positions revealed accompanying solutions to protect the future and health of many college students.
Alcohol abuse on college campuses has affected several students across the country. It hinders the path of their success, career, and life. This becomes responsible for the ongoing crimes and penalties students have to face in college. However, there are some colleges who come up with solutions to get students aware of this issue and how to avoid it.
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The Prevention Research Center had done a study on both adult and underage drinking that reduces alcohol abuse and other crimes involved with that. A lot of controlled measures were put on, for instance, liquor store employees were trained to not sell liquor that appeared intoxicated or was underage. With that, there was strict enforcement on rules of drinking and driving by the police. “The measure contributed to a 43 percent reduction in assault injuries reported at emergency rooms and a 10 percent drop in nighttime traffic crashes causing injury. Surveys also showed a 49 percent decline in people reporting heavy drinking” (Paul and Saltz).
Another study by the Harvard school reported five campuses that had positive results made to control alcohol abuse. “Controls recommended for colleges include halting drink specials at bars near campus, expanding substance-free residence halls, promoting alcohol-free activities on campus and city police to crack down on rowdy house parties” (Paul and Saltz). A protective system like this can give a student a better life opportunity and can change the long-established drinking atmosphere on college campuses. This can reduce the number of crimes, injuries, serious illnesses and rapes. One change can make a difference in a student’s learning process.
Addiction is a bad habit in which an individual gets attached to and is very hard to get rid of. There are many types of addiction people get. Yet, alcohol is somehow an addiction to some and is very difficult to quit drinking. While alcohol abusing, one gets so delved into alcohol that it does not know what’s happening around themselves. It then grabs a habit to drink which allows them to keep binging until they are satisfied. This can result in a severe case of alcohol poisoning or death. According to a scientist from the American Psychiatric Association, “one strategy is to look not to the substances and activities themselves, but to the effect that they produce in addicts” (“Introduction to Addiction”).
This can relate to stress, depression or issue that individual is going through which might lead it to drink and forget all its problems. It also can be some sort of happiness that might lead it to addiction to alcohol and can’t quit. There are a lot of factors that can be tested to why an individual eventually ends up getting addicted to alcohol and be an alcohol abuser. To overcome such addictions, one can find a solution to their problems or can meet a counselor to discuss and come up with solutions that can end their distress.
Students face all kinds of issues during their times of receiving higher education. There should be a counselor in college that can help them with their problems and prevent them from choosing to drink alcohol. This gives a chance to reduce the number of alcohol abuse among college campuses.
Alcohol is the most abused substance the American youth have used since past decades and among these youth come the underage drinkers who drink alcohol illegally. College officials and authorities should regulate strict rules regarding the drinking age law. According to research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “estimates that setting the age limit at 21 has saved 16,500 lives in traffic crashes alone since 1975” (Ralph).
Hence, this made the law to be set at the age of 21 and gives zero-tolerance to younger people drinking alcohol. Studies also show that the age of 21 is set because humans tend to start thinking maturely in certain manners. At this age, they start taking proper responsibility and thoughts regarding their life, career, and health. If college campuses prohibit and give a closer watch to underage drinking students, there might be lower cases of alcohol abuse among college campuses.
“Research has already indicated that raising the drinking age lowers the rate of some of these other alcohol-related problems” (Ralph). This can include suicide, injuries, drowning, road accidents, fall, burn or sometimes alcohol overdose. Age limit can save a student’s life and can support million other college campuses from getting numerous cases of alcohol abuse and binge drinking.
Alcohol abuse affects many students among different college campuses, but it can also impact it economically. “The economic effects of alcohol abuse are as damaging to the nation as the health effects, affecting the family, the community and persons of all ages” (Burke). It affects a student’s ability to perform well in education, development, and economic challenges in the future. A research has been done and shown that “117 billion are spent in productivity and employment for alcohol because the demand of alcohol by people is increasingly high” (Burke). If so much money is spent on the production of alcohol, this can affect the financial basis of this country.
It can have adverse effects on the economy when there is a lot of people drinking and then have to go to the hospital for treatments. It is said that “health care costs alone for illness and trauma related to alcohol abuse totaled $15 billion” (Burke). The government then loses a lot of money in these treatments instead of curing the wellness of this country on other ongoing issues like the country debt. While these costs of treatments are very shocking, there are cases where family lives are destroyed in alcohol-related problems.
One solution to reducing such costs can be like reducing the production of alcohol or reducing consumption of alcohol. Such efforts and action are required to reduce alcohol abuse so that it directly reduces the economic effect caused by financial expenditures the country goes through.
Students face a lot of workload during their college phase because they handle their education, work and family time together. Thus, this encourages the student to relieve a small amount of stress by consuming alcohol. “A study conveyed that many university students are prone to excess alcohol consumption” (Wechsler). As the years grown, the consumption of alcohol across the nation has declined. Yet, students have been following the opposite pattern. According to recent studies, “44 percent of students surveyed engage binge drinking” (Wechsler).
This disrupts the colleges’ discipline and reputation when such students engage in alcohol-related behaviors. This aspect of the issue is yet to be seen and acted by college authorities and officials. Coming up with a solution, they can have strict laws to bringing alcohol in the campus limits. They can educate students on the effects on consumption of alcohol and how it will affect their career and health. There are many solutions around the world, but it has to be implemented as soon as possible.
Alcohol is a substance that engages an individual into unintended violence, sexual activity or crime. There is a limit to how a male or female can drink but drinking excessively can endanger a person’s life. Alcohol abuse is a pattern of excessive consumption of alcohol in a short period of time. Students among various college campuses become a victim of alcohol abuse. There has been a lot of arguments, perspectives, and solutions regarding alcohol abuse among college campuses.
Since this topic is very leading to college campuses, there should be ways that college authorities act upon. Alcohol creates a strong effect on a person’s well-being and health when not taken care of. Especially students, they are the upcoming generation of this country. They need to be protected for the welfare and prosperity of reputed colleges and the United States.
