Alcohol Abuse on the College Campus

College can and should be an exciting and enriching experience. The first step toward protecting students from alcohol abuse while away at college is to investigate various colleges stand on drinking and encourage students to choose those schools that focus more on academics, social development and campus community safety. Each year the consequences of college drinking are more significant, more destructive, and more costly than most Americans realize. Fortunately, more and more colleges are adopting aggressive measures to conquer the problem of alcohol abuse on the college campus.

Research has shown that of all substances that are use on college campuses, alcohol causes the most problems. Studies show that 43% of all students report drinking in an unsafe manner at some point in their college career. Twenty percent of student report drinking in a reckless manner often or on a regular basis. It is important to understand that the consequences of this type of drinking are not confined only to the students doing the drinking but the responsible students who do not drink or who drink legally and safely can become victims as well. Some examples are:

· Sixty percent of students have had study or sleep disturbed on a regular basis.

· Fifty four percent have had to take care of a drunken fellow student.

· Twenty percent have encountered unwanted sexual advances from drunken students.

· Nine percent of students have been assaulted by a drunken student.

· Thirteen percent of students have been the victims of date rape at the hands of a drunken student.

Evidence suggests that the first six weeks of the school year are critical to a student’s academic success. It is also during this time that many students initiate the habit of excessive drinking. Aside from the physical harm this causes, it also inhibits the process of adapting to campus life. Many students who do not return to college for the second year are students who drink excessively during their first semester at college.

The primary influence that can keep students from drinking excessively is the parent. There are three ways a parent can influence a student in a way that can help keep him or her from college drinking.

1. Parents need to help their children choose the right college. This would include colleges with low rates of alcohol related incidences as well as colleges with an emphasis toward alcohol education and campus safety.
2. Once the student goes off to college it is important for the parents to stay involved in their child’s life and to be aware of what they are doing and what they are going through.
3. If a parent thinks that their child may be in danger of having problems with alcohol they should seek assistance immediately. Early intervention brings the best and most successful outcomes.

Parent and student education is key to keeping college campuses safe and keeping students from developing alcohol addictions. In recent years, campus administrators have realized the importance of campus involvement in the life of the student as well. Working together it is possible to conquer the problem of excessive drinking on college campuses.

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