Effects of binge drinking greater than realized

Jonelle Haykel

With the recent annual event of Spring Fling, came with it the annual day of binge drinking for many Cabrini students. Many of the students start drinking early in the afternoon and continued well into the night. The majority of the time college students do not realize the effects of binge drinking.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, the number of college students who participate in “binge drinking” – or drinking for the purpose of getting drunk – remains at 44 percent of all students despite increased efforts by colleges to curb the trend.

Most research on drinking among college students focuses on the widespread pattern of binge drinking. Many researchers define binge drinking for men and women as drinking five or more drinks at one sitting. Developmentally, the ages 18 through 21 is the period of heaviest alcohol consumption for most drinkers in the United States. However, within this heavy-drinking age group, binge drinking is more prevalent among college students than non-students.

Cabrini offered an alcohol- free opportunity at this year’s Spring Fling. To reduce binge drinking many colleges promote non-alcoholic events, alcohol education programs and counseling services, but many times they are not well attended.

Many times students do not realize the effects of binge drinking. Young adults are more at risk to losing brain cells and having increased memory loss than for adults later in life. Any binge drinker is also at higher risk for certain types of cancer, liver damage and cirrhosis. Many of the times students who miss classes, fall behind in their school work and vandalize are the students who binge drink.

Last week a new study revealed that drinking by college students contributes to an astonishing 1,400 student deaths, 500,000 injuries and 70,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape each year.

One survey reported that more students under age 21 binge drink and have alcohol-related problems than those over 21. Researchers at Columbia said, “Underage drinkers are about one-fifth of alcohol consumers, bringing about 22.5 billion dollars per year.”

Posted to the web by: Jonelle Haykel