Should Colleges Work to Curtail Student Drinking?

           The epidemic of alcoholism on college campuses continues to be a serious problem. According to a study conducted in 2002, an average of four college students die every day in alcohol-related accidents. However, universities still do far too little to discourage students from drinking, and drinking is considered a social norm on many campuses. I believe that colleges should work to lower the rate of drinking among their students.

           First of all, universities have an obligation to discourage drinking because it is a safety hazard for their students. Alcohol contributes to accidents and unintentional injuries and fatalities, especially for college students. According to the National Institute for Health, in 2005 1,825 college students of age 18-24 were killed in alcohol-related accidents. Alcohol also contributes to violent behavior. A survey in 2001 revealed that 690,000 students were involved in a violent altercation with a fellow student under the effects of alcohol that year. Colleges must work to reduce the frequency of such incidents, because they are obligated to help keep their students safe.

           Second, universities should work to reduce rates of drinking among students because it is a more serious problem on college campuses than it is elsewhere. According to a survey conducted in 2019, 53 percent of students surveyed had consumed alcohol in the past month. Among non-college students of the same age, the statistic was 33 percent. At many universities, drinking is seen as a social norm, especially in fraternities and sororities. Bars near universities often use promotions and discounts to attract students from campuses.

            Finally, universities should work to limit drinking among college students because they are in a unique position to help. Universities are perhaps the largest providers of healthcare for college students. They are also able to communicate with their students, which makes it possible for them to spread awareness of this issue. They also provide housing for many college students, so they are in close enough contact to know if a student develops a drinking problem.

            Colleges should work to reduce student drinking because it is a safety hazard to their students, it is a more serious problem on college campuses than elsewhere, and colleges are uniquely suited to help alleviate this problem. I think colleges should help by communicating regularly with students on the dangers of binge drinking and through more targeted interventions with students who have been identified as possibly having a drinking problem through the housing and healthcare systems.

Graph showing binge-drinking rates among young adults. Source: NIH.gov

                                           

Mcmurtrie, Beth.  “Why Colleges Haven’t Stopped Binge Drinking.”  The New York Times, 14 December 2014, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/us/why-colleges-havent-stopped-binge-drinking.html.  Accessed 7 December 2022.

 Facts on College Student Drinking. Rockville, Md: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2021. Print.

Hingson, Ralph W. “Focus on: College drinking and related problems: magnitude and prevention of college drinking and related problems.” Alcohol research & health : the journal of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism vol. 33,1-2 (2010): 45-54.