Students are more likely to experiment with drugs and
alcohol use from the transition from high school to college. Before attending
college, teens tend to consume alcohol which is very common. Binge drinking can
lead to sexual intercourse, pregnancies, and other risky behaviors. The use of
drug or alcohol usage increases the probability of blackouts and memory
impairments. When mixing drugs and alcohol consumption it increases the
likelihood of loosing consciousness. Many college students mix marijuana and
alcohol use.
The prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus are areas of the
brain associated with memory. Alcohol consumption has an effect on these areas.
There are two types of blackouts, retrograde amnesia and anterograde amnesia.
Anterograde amnesia is more common. This is when people can drive and have
conversations but will not be able to recall their actions.
During this study, 188 freshman were interviewed. These
students had experienced at least one blackout due to drug and/or alcohol use.
The majority of the student’s blackouts left them with a negative experience. Female
students are at a higher risk due to their eating habits as well as their
weights. These individuals participated in alcohol education and then filled
out questionnaires at the end of each session. The information given was
related to their alcohol usage and drinking habits in attempt to give the
students more background on their customs.
The result of this study was a drastic change. About 16% of
the students had blacked out at the end of this study, and their drink
consumption also decreased to 7.3 per week versus the previous 11.1. Both the individuals
as well as the entire group of students had experienced an overall change in
their drinking habits, which may be looked at as an accomplishment.
Kazemi, Donna M., Maureen J. Levine, Jacek Dmochowski, Mary A. Nies, and Linman Sun. "Effects of Motivational Interviewing Intervention on Blackouts Among College Freshmen." PubMed (2013): 1-9. Print.
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