It’s considered an epidemic on college campuses. It eats away at the brain, sometimes leads to diseases, frequently leads to bodily injury, and flirts with death. What is it? Binge drinking. A very serious issue on college campuses. Binge drinking occurs when an individual decides to drink numerous alcoholic drinks in a short period of time with the intent to get drunk. While this may seem like fun at the time, there can be serious repercussions ranging from illness to death. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, 44 percent of four-year college students drink alcohol at a binging level.
Brace yourself for some sobering statistics. The Center for Science in the Public Interest highlights studies that show that students who binge drink often deal with broken sleep patterns (not good for grades or classroom participation);property damage; and physical, verbal, or sexual violence. It gets worse. TheNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism chartered a study that figured that an estimated 1,7000 college students die annually from unintentional alcohol-related injuries. Approximately 30,000 college students require medical treatment annually, after overdosing on alcohol. The studies state that each year, 400,000 students, aged 18-24, engage in unprotected sex, with more than 100,000 students reporting that they were too intoxicated to know whether or not they gave sexual consent.
This seems very depressing, but there is something you can do about it. Education is a powerful tool. It’s critical that you sit down with your college student and discuss the facts — even if they are a current teetotaler. The information can save them at a later date or even help them help their friends. Teach the difference between social drinking and binge drinking. If it seems like the temptation to binge is too strong, your child might want to go to a website such as earmydegree.com to learn about online education opportunities.
