Danielle Grecowriting project 3 2

Danielle Greco writing project 3
Robert Morris
Engl 1100
October 18th 2013 Binge drinking and Education In today’s society many individuals will try to find a way to cope with everyday life. Some will turn to Gambling, Drug abuse or Alcohol abuse. Among these individuals a high percentage are college students who will turn to substance abuse to help them deal with the stress of campus living, academic problems and acceptance .In the narrative” Too many colleges are still in denial about alcohol abuse” and “Health and Behavioral Consequences of Binge Drinking in Colleges” Wechsler discusses how binge drinking has increased over the years. He goes in great detail in both narratives how many students who uses binge drinking to deal acceptance or academic troubles usually come from a substance abused family or who was never treated for a health condition such as depression. In an alternate view Dr. Tiffany Chao from ABC news Medical unit discusses in her article “Binge Drinking College Students Report Being Happier” in a current research students who binge drink are happier then students who don’t binge drink. In this essay it will look at both individual views on binge drinking. Who is affected mostly by binge drinking? Is binge drinking concern for only college students? Does binge drinking really make students happier?

Writing project 3
In a study done by Wechsler he stated that” 50% of binge drinkers were men and 39% were women”. The definition of binge drinking is not the same for men and women. Women that consume more than 4 alcoholic beverages would be considered a binge drinker and more than 5 beverages for males. Binge drinking can also be related to the age of the student. Students that are between the ages of 17-23 have a higher risk of becoming a binge drinker compared to students between the ages of 21-23 according to Wechsler. Some studies show that the white populations of students are most likely to turn to drug and alcohol abuse compared to a historically black college. Wechsler and Dr. Chao both agreed that many students that are binge drinkers in college started to consume alcohol in their high school year and progressively increased their intake of alcohol when entering college. A binge drinker is also at a higher risk to form a new addition to drugs rather than a person who is not a binge drinker. Many students on the campus living grounds that are not binge drinkers have to deal with the consequences of the students that are. According to Dr. Chao there are, “More than 696,000 students that are between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by a student that is drinking, and more than 400,00 students between the ages of 18-24 had unprotected sex as a result of drinking”. Students that are highly intoxicated are not capable to give consent for sexual activates which leads to possible rape charges. Not only are the students living on campus in danger of students that drink every day citizens are. In a study of 17,592 college students Wechsler’s found that 40% of males and 21% of females drove after consuming 5 or more drinks. A large percentage of fatal accidents that occur every day are due to drunk drivers. Writing project 3
Even though Wechsler and Dr. Chao seem to have the same view on binge drinking and education there is different view on if being a binge drinker actually makes a student happy. According to Dr. Chao’s study she found that students that are binge drinkers are happier then non binge drinkers. She found that wealthy, white male, heterosexual and/or Greek- affiliated students are happier than other students. She states, “Binge drinking to “fit-in” may actually lead to increased happiness and will help maintain the happiness of the students, but students that do not binge drink have lower levels of social satisfaction”. Even though Dr.Chao may possibly believe that a binge drinker can make a student happier Wechsler has a different view. “Binge drinkers are more likely to experience serious health and other consequences of their drinking behavior” states Wechsler.
Even though both of these authors may have a different view on if drinking actually makes a student happier it is still a problem the many colleges face today. Many students use binge drinking just as a tool to “fit in” and to be accepted. They fail to look at the big picture of the possibilities that may happen when binge drinking such as a possible addiction to drugs, failing grades, abuse on others, and the possibility of taking someone’s life from drinking and driving or even their own life. What if campuses organized groups that would help students make new friends or feel accepted instead of the students turning to alcohol? Eliminating Fraternities which is known for “Major partying." Less advertisement and drink specials from the local bars. Many colleges need to be more proactive to try to eliminate students from becoming or continuing their drinking habits and work more closely with the students. But as Wechler stated “ Before constructive steps can be taken, campus authorities must stop denying the extent of the problem. Denial includes failing to recognize the impact and extensiveness of campus alcohol abuse and Writing project 3
Acting as if easy stratagems will produce change.” Hopefully one day the colleges will take action to help decrease the partying and increase the education, but until then not only do the binge drinkers suffer but the students who are not.