Many people consider drinking alcohol to be a normal part of the college experience. However, severe alcohol abuse, or chronic alcoholism, is considered a disease, according to a 2006 study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

A study released in 2009 by the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality revealed alcohol abuse was more prevalent in college students than in those who are not students.

The real danger is not that college students are drinking alcohol, but how they are drinking it. Research has shown that young adults are especially likely to binge drink and exceed daily recommended alcohol limits, according to an article on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.

‘College students have easy access to alcohol culture. They’re away from home, nobody’s telling them when to come and go, et cetera,’ said Susan Scholl, internship coordinator at the Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition at the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

Problems students face in school and at work can provoke frustration that leads to increased drinking. However, alcohol consumption has been proven to increase stress, according the Health and Human Services Department article. Studies of men and women between ages 19 and 30 show men are likely to drink irresponsibly 45 percent of the time, as compared to 27 percent for women.

Men in college tend to act out after consuming alcohol by fighting or through other forms of violence, while women deal with the consumption internally, meaning they have more issues with depression, eating disorders and self-esteem, Scholl said.

Students tend to drink more alcohol because of peer influence and a need to make new friendships after transitioning into college. Young adults usually drink because it’s considered both a social norm and a way to fit in. Most students do not perceive themselves as alcoholics, even if they drink above the recommended amount of alcohol, according to the Health and Human Services Department.

‘When you combine a need or desire to alter your mood with freedom and the experimentation that is part of young adulthood, you often get abuse of alcohol,’ Scholl said.

By drinking chronically, college students can experience weight gain, issues with relationships and poor attendance in class, Scholl said. Students are vulnerable at this stage in their lives, and some are looking to control their mood through alcohol, she said.

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Published on February 14, 2012 at 12:00 pm

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