Alcohol consumption among college student has been documented in the United States for the last five decades. However, recent concerns have centered on episodic drinking also known as episodic drinking that have adverse health impacts (Esser, et al, 2014). Statistics show that two out of five college students took part in binge drinking in the last two weeks, while two out of five drinking normally and 0ne out of five does not take alcohol. These statistics are worrying because binge drinking is associated with dangerous health consequences. Consumption of alcohol among college students affects students, their families, and the community at large. Statistics show that 1,825 college students die annually due to alcohol -related unintentional injuries. Furthermore, other students who use alcohol assault more than 690,000 students on an annual basis (CDC, 2015). Excessive consumption of alcohol is also associated with problems such as a sexual aggression, academic problems, and injury and health problems such as suicide attempts. These statistics is evidence showing that college drinking is a problem that must be combated to mitigate against its consequences that are grave.
Epidemiology and biostatistics
Literature on the epidemiology of college drinking is of mixed quality because self-reported methodologies re used, which affect the reliability of the findings. Research shows that there is a limited relationship between a student’s perception of suffering from a drinking problem and the many implications associated with drinking.
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College is not the first time that students experiment with alcohol. Alcohol consumption among young adults starts before they enter college, but the pressure to misuse alcohol intensifies in college. A study conducted in 2012 showed that 42% of high school seniors reported having taken just a few sip of alcohol in the past 30 days, while 24% reported binge drinking in the past two weeks (CDC, 2015).
Binge drinking is prevalent among males compared to females. Additionally, binge drinkers are fourteen times more likely to experience alcohol impaired drinking compared to other normal alcohol users. Statistics also reveal that 90 percent of alcohol taken by adults under the age of 21 years in the country is in the form of binge drinking.
The reason for alcohol abuse that is witnessed in college is peer pressure whereby one is exposed to new values and norms about alcohol. Coupled with parental supervision, new college students are more likely to report alcohol consumption compared to their comrades who never went to college. College students live in an unregulated environment and are in a life stage characterized by the need for self-discovery (NIAAA, 2014). Although some students arrive in college with alcohol problems already, most of them develop alcohol-related problems after arriving in college.
Several risk factors during senior high school have been identified, which contribute to alcohol –related problems in college. These include being male and white, having a Lower GPA, drinking to cope, and conformity, drinking to get drunk, and anticipating future use of alcohol (CDC, 2015). However, it is important to note that college students consider alcohol intake a temporary and normal practice. Subsequently, it is difficult to predict accurately binge drinking in college and later in life.
Compared to normal alcohol consumption, binge drinking is associated with multiple health and behavioral problems. These include unintentional injuries, alcohol poisoning, unintended pregnancies, liver diseases, sexually transmitted disease, neurological damage, sexual dysfunction, and the possibility of having children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Binge drinking is not only a personal problem, but also a national one because it costs everyone. Excessive consumption of alcohol, which comprises binge drinking cost the united states $249 billion, or $2.05 a drink in 2010 in the form of lost productivity, crime, healthcare costs and other related expenses. Binge drinking accounts for 77 percent of these costs.
Biomedical basis
Binge drinking, just as normal alcohol consumption is associated with adverse health outcomes. Some of the negative health outcomes associated with excessive consumption of alcohol include the risk of developing heart-related conditions, high blood pressure, and stroke. Additionally heavy drinking causes liver diseases such as cirrhosis, neurological damage such as loss of memory, and the likelihood of alcohol poisoning. Unintentional injuries caused by sexual assault, firearms, and domestic violence are also the consequences of alcohol consumption. Research studies have also revealed that alcohol consumption is associated with risky sexual behaviors among college students that nay lead to sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, and enhanced risk of rape (NIAAA, 2014). Students can be perpetrators or victims of sexual assault when under the influence of alcohol. They can also unintentionally develop a criminal record or live with the emotional consequences of rape. Alcohol consumption is also the cause of unsafe driving. About half of all fatal road accidents are caused by youth between 18 and 24 years under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol interferes with concentration and reaction time, which lowers the ability to respond to traffics signs and pedestrians.
Environmental factors
Binge drinking among college students is caused by certain environmental factors that exacerbate the situations. The independence that is associated with college life is one of these factors because young adults are experiencing for the first time the freedom from parental control. They can make certain choices including excessive drinking with the fear of their parents (Esser, et al, 2014). Easy access to alcohol in college is another environmental factor that contributes to excessive drinking. It is easy for college students to access alcohol through their peers, fraternal organizations and sororities, and campus-related activities. Excessive drinking is also evident in college in order to manage negative emotional states such as anxiety over exams and depression.
Social factors
There are aspects of college life that support a drinking culture among students. Most students use alcohol in order to socialize with others. They use alcohol to lower their social inhibitions and increase the amount of fun. According to research, the main social reasons that students give for drinking include breaking the ice, which is applicable for freshman students when developing new connections (NIAAA, 2014). The unstructured time that is associated with college life compels some students to engage in drinking in order to have something to do. Peer pressure from fellow students is also high during college and it is one reason why some students engage in dangerous alcohol-related behaviors in college. Additionally, some students have reported using alcohol because it facilitates sexual opportunities. This is common among male students who use alcohol so that they get the courage to approach female students. Lastly, stress associated with college life such as having to attend class, read exams and relationship issues contribute to alcohol consumptions. Students may take alcohol in order to relive themselves from (White & Rabiner, 2012). These circumstances may be temporary, but taking alcohol to manage them is associated with negative consequences.
Ecological model and suggested intervention
The ecological model is made up of five levels of healthy behavior. These are the interpersonal levels, interpersonal level, institutional level, community level, and policy level. Change at any one level can contribute to personal changes and societal change. Several interventions can be implemented at each level with the objective of reduce binge drinking and alcohol consumption among college students.
At the intrapersonal level, students have the choice to drink alcohol if they want to. A majority of students believe that taking alcohol makes them cool and endear them to their friends or peers. When students are provided with information regarding the dangers of alcohol use, they can alter their beliefs and behaviors regarding binge drinking (White & Rabiner, 2012).
At the interpersonal level, when students discover information about something that tend to be true they share this information with their peers. For example, when students learn that alcohol consumption does not give them courage to approach female students or make them cool, but is just a false assumption, they will share this information with others. When a group of students has this information, they share it with their peers, which will help in altering behaviors associated with alcohol.
At the institutional level, colleges can provide forums, for students where they can access information about the dangers of binge drinking and alcohol consumption. These include seminars and workshops that teach students about the dangers of excessive alcohol use. Students who attend such forums can spread the information to others. At the community level, sponsoring efforts against binge drinking and alcohol consumption can be implemented. These include decreasing availability of alcohol, setting up billboards that inform students about the dangers of binge drinking, and distributing posters. At the policy level, strategies such as limiting alcohol advertisements and implementing the legal drinking age are useful in combating college drinking.
An effective strategy that utilized the ecological model is the intervention matrix. This intervention targets the individual by providing information and counseling, the campus environment by involving campus leadership, and the community by lowering access to alcohol to students. At the policy level, this intervention aims regulating the sale of alcohol to underage users and criminalizing business that break the legal drinking age (NIAAA, 2014). Evidence shows that a single strategy does not work, but a combination of strategies.
References
Esser, M.B., Hedden, S.L., Kanny, D., Brewer, R.D., Gfroerer, J.C, Naimi, T.S (2014). Prevalence of Alcohol Dependence Among US Adult Drinkers, 2009–2011. Prev Chronic Dis ; 11:140329.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). (2014). College Drinking . NIH . . . Turning Discovery into Health.
Center for disease control and prevention (CDC). (2015). Fact Sheets - Binge Drinking. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm
White, H. R., & Rabiner, D. L. (2012). College drinking and drug use . New York: Guilford Press.
