Binge Drinking

There is no denying that alcohol consumption is a major part of college life in the United States; however, in recent years the binge drinking trend has become an escalating problem on college campuses all across the nation. Binge drinking consists of consuming large amounts of alcoholic beverages with the purpose of becoming intoxicated in just a short period of time.  According to a national survey of students from 140 different college campuses, nearly 50% of them have admitted to being binge drinkers and nearly 20% were frequent binge drinkers.  As a college student myself I can confirm that these statistics are very accurate.  This sort of behavior has become an excepted social norm among young adults and unfortunately has contributed to many problems such as unintentional injuries, unplanned sex, increased risk of heart disease, and even death.  Not only does binge drinking affect the consumer, but it can also lead to problems for other contemporaries who are not drinkers such as disruption, assault, and unwanted sexual advancement.  Despite these risks however, most of these binge drinkers do not consider their habit to be a problem.  Rather than addressing the issue by means of treatment, the majority of college students instead continue their routine of excessive drinking and neglect to take responsibility for their actions.  I believe this is heavily influenced by the desire to be social accepted among peers.  Sadly, those who decide to binge drink are seen as “different” or outcasts.  Until the association between binge drinking and social status are eliminated, this problematic situation will only continue worsen.

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