Behavior Risky to Post-secondary School Success
By Valarie R. Austin, November 23rd, 2021, 11:30 AM EDT
(Previously Published on LinkedIn)
Parents/guardians should consider having a serious conversation with their college bound young adult about excessive drinking and its risk to post-secondary school success. Drinking alcohol is ingrained in American society as a rite of passage to becoming an adult. The beer and liquor marketing industry depicts drinking as cool, fun, and attractive to the opposite sex. Sports and entertainment figures are featured in flashy and exciting commercial advertisements for alcohol. These campaigns lure young adults into buying and drinking alcohol to mimic their celebrity role models or some illusionary lifestyle. The constant bombardment minimizes the drawbacks of irresponsible drinking that can impact mental and physical health. Unfortunately, some parents forego conversations about alcohol use. They may fear the conversation will spark an interest in drinking. Or, parents conclude the conversation is unnecessary because they see no evidence that their young adult is drinking. This naivety and lack of discussion may have grave consequences. A 2019 national survey claimed that by 12th grade, 59% of students had tried alcohol and 41% had become drunk at least once according to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) fact sheet (https://bit.ly/SAMHSA_highschool_alcohol_usage). Without the intervention of parents/guardians and college officials, college students, especially freshmen, may not realize the risk that drinking irresponsibly poses.
When they enter college, most students are not 21 years old, which is the minimum drinking age in the United States. Alcohol.org lists minimum drinking age exemptions that vary by state for educational purposes, lawful employment, religious services and other exceptions (https://www.alcohol.org/laws/underage-drinking/). In contrast, sporting events, parties, social gatherings, Greek pledging, participation on athletic teams and other seemingly innocuous activities on campus can often lead to unsanctioned underage drinking. Many underage college students typically disregard legal age restrictions and drink alcohol due to peer pressure or a desire to fit in. The AddictionCenter.com also cites stress, depression and loneliness as other reasons for college students’ developing drinking habits (https://bit.ly/College_Binge_Drinking). Alcohol affects each individual differently. College students can be susceptible to occasional drinking that may become a habitual behavior of excessive drinking.
The SAMHSA fact sheet highlighted that the 2019 survey showed 17% of full-time college students who drank over the previous month identified as binge drinkers. Binge drinking is excessive drinking over a short period that increases an individual’s blood alcohol content (BAC) to .08% or above. A BAC of .08% is the federal limit to be legally drunk in the United States. A person’s binge drinking can lead to impaired judgment, reckless behavior, blackouts and health issues. A University of Nevada, Reno infographic also noted that binge drinkers are more likely to be victims of assault, date rape, unsafe sex, violent crimes, DUI’s, car crashes, suicide, alcohol-related injuries/death, etc. (https://bit.ly/College_bingedrinking_threats). With excessive drinking and hangovers, college students may suffer from school penalties for underage drinking or poor academic performance due to missing classes and earning poor grades on coursework and exams. College students must be mindful of the pitfalls of excessive drinking and act accordingly.
College students have a choice to drink or not to drink. Every school night or weekend should not be a drinking contest to get wasted. Parents and college administrators must lead the conversation with young adults about the negative consequences of underage and binge drinking at college. Frequent discussion is the key to changing college students’ views that such behavior is acceptable and normal. Colleges have a responsibility to actively identify students’ at risk behavior and address excessive/underage drinking as a student body issue. They should offer counseling; intervention; peer-to-peer discussions; and active alcohol awareness/prevention programs to reduce the culture of excessive drinking as a way of college life. Each student has potential to thrive and succeed at college. Binge drinking and underage drinking are detrimental activities that have the potential to derail a student’s journey to graduation. Alcohol creates short-term, illusionary fun that can quickly turn into a mental and physical nightmare. At college, think twice before taking that first alcoholic drink as an underage drinker because the consequences are not worth the effort.
Have a great semester!
The Student's Comprehensive Guide For College & Other Life Lessons
La Guía Comprensiva del Estudiante para la Universidad & Otras Lecciones de Vida
(Previously Published on LinkedIn)
Parents/guardians should consider having a serious conversation with their college bound young adult about excessive drinking and its risk to post-secondary school success. Drinking alcohol is ingrained in American society as a rite of passage to becoming an adult. The beer and liquor marketing industry depicts drinking as cool, fun, and attractive to the opposite sex. Sports and entertainment figures are featured in flashy and exciting commercial advertisements for alcohol. These campaigns lure young adults into buying and drinking alcohol to mimic their celebrity role models or some illusionary lifestyle. The constant bombardment minimizes the drawbacks of irresponsible drinking that can impact mental and physical health. Unfortunately, some parents forego conversations about alcohol use. They may fear the conversation will spark an interest in drinking. Or, parents conclude the conversation is unnecessary because they see no evidence that their young adult is drinking. This naivety and lack of discussion may have grave consequences. A 2019 national survey claimed that by 12th grade, 59% of students had tried alcohol and 41% had become drunk at least once according to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) fact sheet (https://bit.ly/SAMHSA_highschool_alcohol_usage). Without the intervention of parents/guardians and college officials, college students, especially freshmen, may not realize the risk that drinking irresponsibly poses.
When they enter college, most students are not 21 years old, which is the minimum drinking age in the United States. Alcohol.org lists minimum drinking age exemptions that vary by state for educational purposes, lawful employment, religious services and other exceptions (https://www.alcohol.org/laws/underage-drinking/). In contrast, sporting events, parties, social gatherings, Greek pledging, participation on athletic teams and other seemingly innocuous activities on campus can often lead to unsanctioned underage drinking. Many underage college students typically disregard legal age restrictions and drink alcohol due to peer pressure or a desire to fit in. The AddictionCenter.com also cites stress, depression and loneliness as other reasons for college students’ developing drinking habits (https://bit.ly/College_Binge_Drinking). Alcohol affects each individual differently. College students can be susceptible to occasional drinking that may become a habitual behavior of excessive drinking.
The SAMHSA fact sheet highlighted that the 2019 survey showed 17% of full-time college students who drank over the previous month identified as binge drinkers. Binge drinking is excessive drinking over a short period that increases an individual’s blood alcohol content (BAC) to .08% or above. A BAC of .08% is the federal limit to be legally drunk in the United States. A person’s binge drinking can lead to impaired judgment, reckless behavior, blackouts and health issues. A University of Nevada, Reno infographic also noted that binge drinkers are more likely to be victims of assault, date rape, unsafe sex, violent crimes, DUI’s, car crashes, suicide, alcohol-related injuries/death, etc. (https://bit.ly/College_bingedrinking_threats). With excessive drinking and hangovers, college students may suffer from school penalties for underage drinking or poor academic performance due to missing classes and earning poor grades on coursework and exams. College students must be mindful of the pitfalls of excessive drinking and act accordingly.
College students have a choice to drink or not to drink. Every school night or weekend should not be a drinking contest to get wasted. Parents and college administrators must lead the conversation with young adults about the negative consequences of underage and binge drinking at college. Frequent discussion is the key to changing college students’ views that such behavior is acceptable and normal. Colleges have a responsibility to actively identify students’ at risk behavior and address excessive/underage drinking as a student body issue. They should offer counseling; intervention; peer-to-peer discussions; and active alcohol awareness/prevention programs to reduce the culture of excessive drinking as a way of college life. Each student has potential to thrive and succeed at college. Binge drinking and underage drinking are detrimental activities that have the potential to derail a student’s journey to graduation. Alcohol creates short-term, illusionary fun that can quickly turn into a mental and physical nightmare. At college, think twice before taking that first alcoholic drink as an underage drinker because the consequences are not worth the effort.
Have a great semester!
Valarie R. Austin is the author of The Student’s Comprehensive Guide for College & Other Life Lessons. She has a wealth of knowledge on the subjects of career and college preparation. She also conducts career and college readiness workshops for high school students and parents. Check out her author’s pages on https://www.linkedin/in/valarie-r-austin, https://www.goodreads.com/valarie_r_austin and https://www.amazon.com/author/valarie_r_austin. A Youtube.com review of her book can found at https://youtu.be/xy_GSHlJsa0. This article was edited by Raffie Johnson. Copyright 2021, Vauboix Publishing LLC. Like, comment and/or share this article! (Article 5 of 5, fall 2021)
The Student's Comprehensive Guide For College & Other Life Lessons
La Guía Comprensiva del Estudiante para la Universidad & Otras Lecciones de Vida
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