Universities in the United States often carry a stereotype that students engage in reckless binge drinking. Binge drinking is often defined as consuming five or more drinks in a short amount of time, ranging from two to four hours. Yet, many students reinforce this stereotype through their actions. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that “each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking; this includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, and 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drowning.” Because consumption of alcohol has become a common expectancy in the college atmosphere, higher rates of students are participating in underage drinking.
Although drinking is thought to lessen inhibitions in order to repress social anxiety and help make memorable times with friends, there are many consequences to exposing your body to the large intake of alcohol that college students participate in during weekends, sporting events and other social functions.
Because drinking impairs one from making responsible decisions while intoxicated, a student’s health can be directly or indirectly at risk. As stated before, many young adults in the United States experience alcohol-related accidents that lead to injury or even death.
Drunk driving has become a common problem in America due to the lack of mass transit available. Many young adults often find themselves behind the wheel after consuming large quantities of alcohol. Typically, those driving are putting not only themselves at risk, but also those who are in the car and on the streets. CollegeDrinkingPrevention.org states that “3,360,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 drive under the influence of alcohol.” If you are caught drunk driving, the state of Tennessee will revoke your license for one year and you will be required to pay a fine of $350-1,500; and if your BAC is over .20, you will face jail time for seven consecutive days. Mothers Against Drunk Driving reports that the state of Tennessee has had 27 fatal DUI traffic incidents in the last year.
There are many other dangers to binge drinking that students tend not to realize. CollegeDrinkingPrevention.org reports that, “400,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 had unprotected sex and more than 100,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 report having been too intoxicated to know if they consented to having sex.” If students do not use protection, they are putting themselves at risk of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
Students who engage in long-term binge drinking might experience certain health problems with their liver, heart and brain. Also, because alcohol carries so many calories, there is a higher chance of obesity-related diabetes. Commonly, young adults who binge drink experience a “black out,” and the next morning they cannot remember certain events of the night. While it might be funny to your peers, this can be damaging to the brain. When a person is blacked out, the brain loses the ability to consolidate short-term memories and process them into long-term memories. Many long-term drinkers suffer from raised blood pressure, blood lipids and a higher risk of having a stroke, while a light drinker experiences a lower risk of heart disease. In the liver, alcohol can cause fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. Some reports have also connected various cancers to long-term binge drinking.
Although many college kids are eager to show their independence by participating in underage drinking, the negative effects often outweigh the benefits. Some students state that drinking helps in socializing with the opposite sex and makes meeting new people easier. If a student feels this way, they should try enrolling in the many different student organizations and clubs offered around campus. If you do something you love, it will be easier to connect with those around you. The best way to end binge drinking and alcohol-related deaths is to continue to spread awareness. Maybe if students understand the risks involved, drinking rates will decrease. Remember that you could be the one in that car crash, or suffer from a serious illness, or even become pregnant from a man you can hardly remember because you were too intoxicated to think about the consequences.
— Samantha Trueheart is a sophomore in communications. She can be reached at struehea@utk.edu.
