Binge Drinking Consequences

Frat parties with kegs, red solo cups, and a bunch of drunk college students running around making bad decisions. The college party scene is one that many are familiar with, weather from movies and tv shows or from experience. The depiction of a college party is always glorified, full of consequence-free fun. What is often forgotten is the dangers and the repercussions of the binge drinking that these college students are taking part in. According to the Addiction Center around two out of five college students reported binge drinking at least once in the previous two weeks. Binge drinking is defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as drinking which leads to the drinker’s blood alcohol concentration level rising to
or above 0.08 g/dL. It usually takes four to five drinks for a person’s blood alcohol concentration to rise to these levels. College students are taking part in binge drinking despite the current drinking laws. The United States boasts one of the highest legal drinking age among developed countries as well as one of the highest amounts of binge drinking among college students (Wax). College students take part in this binge drinking for many reasons, but it is arguable that the current laws are actually driving these young adults to binge drinking. Young adults are being told that the only thing keeping them from being fully grown is alcohol. College students are told that binge drinking is the final step of adulthood. College students feel the need to drink to reach maturity, and because it is illegal they must drink in very unsafe environments. If it were not against the law to drink then they could be in much safer situations when they do drink. Lowering the drinking age will solve the problems of binge drinking on college campuses by lowering the amount of drinking in general, giving young adults a better environment to drink, and making sure they are safe while they drink.