Alexis Anderson
Staff Writer
Some college students’ definition of a good time may include something more than good music and hanging out with friends. An alarming number of college students engage in binge drinking, a dangerous addiction that prompts serious health concerns for young adults.
The Center for Disease Control reports that about 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinks. One in six U.S. adults binge drinks about four times a month, consuming about eight drinks per binge
Binge drinking is associated with many health problems, such as:
•Alcohol poisoning
•Sexually transmitted diseases
•Unintended pregnancy
•High blood pressure, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases
•Liver disease
•Neurological damage
•Poor control of diabetes
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, binge drinking is a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens when men consume 5 or more drinks, and when women consume 4 or more drinks, in about 2 hours. The NIAAA also explains that two out of five male and female students take part in binge drinking.
“The legal drinking age is 21, so everyone should comply with that law. It’s not a wise decision to participate in binge drinking or driving impaired,” said freshman mass communications major Kennedy Brown from Memphis, Tenn. “I think underage drinking shouldn’t happen. The health effects are severe for those who aren’t mature enough to drink alcohol. Some people drink just to fit in with the crowd, some others do it due to peer pressure.”
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), there are several reminders of the severe effects of alcohol that may begin in preteens and extend into young adulthood, ages 18-20 years old. For example, research studies found that when college students engage in binge drinking, they are at risk of failing school, destroying property, or getting an DUI.
Fortunately, when it comes to college campuses, Mississippi schools are not among those noted as party schools where alcohol drinking is common.
The Princeton Review released its 2013-2014 annual ranking the top party schools in the nations, based on survey questions related to students use of drugs and alcohol, and the top five included: University of Iowa, University of California/Santa Barbara, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champion, West Virginia University and Syracuse University
Even though binge drinking is more common in other states, underage drinking is considered widespread in Mississippi. According to http://www.udetc.org, approximately 131,000 underage customers in Mississippi drink each year and in 2009 consumed 12.6 percent of all alcohol sold in the state
Earnestine McNeal-Brown, director of JSU Interdisciplinary Alcohol/Drug Studies Center, believes that early conversations and open discussions could impact teenagers and college-age students’ views about the problems of alcohol abuse.
“The number students that were referred to the center has decreased since last year; we only see only 8-10 students at our center annually,” said Brown. “We conduct screenings to discover any problems for students who are referred to us. If it is extremely problematic, we contact advance drug rehab centers. The center does offer 6-8 weeks of short term counseling for students.”
Some JSU students believe that students should be cognizant of how much alcohol they consume
Derricka Vereen, a senior physics major from Germany, said: “I know students will ignore the age rule when it comes to drinking. If the drinking age is 21 years old, then every college student should follow the law. They should keep in mind that excessive drinking can have life-long effects.”
For more information, please contact the Interdisciplinary Alcohol/Drug Center at (601) 979-2350.
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