The Importance Of Binge Drinking

Even though the legal age for drinking is 21, substance abuse is still relatively high for adolescences. According to the text book, only about 20% of U.S. college students stay away from alcohol. The college students in the 90% who drink, might even be binge drinking. Basically, binge drinking is when an individual has five or more drinks in a row, it’s not just regular drinking. Also, extreme binge drinking is when an individual has 10 or more drinks in a row. However, the book does state that about 37% of college students make up those who binge drink and about 13% are those who extreme binge drink. If you think about it, that makes up 50% of those who do drink, drink irresponsibly.
I do not think that binge drinking is a problem here
at YTC, unless I clueless on what go on around me. Because for me I haven’t walked by anyone who smelled like alcohol or even seen anyone defiantly had a hangover. I would see this a lot at my high school but even then those kids were usually high not drunk because of school days, I guess. I don’t think the school really is doing anything right besides having basic rules, I don’t think that college students are that foolish or immature, however, I could be wrong. I also don’t think there is much the college could do. Like what is there to do besides what all the high schools do and try to scare students with the old routine of let’s show you a messed up car from drinking and driving and also the googles they make you wear to see what it’s like trying to walk while drunk; I personally think it a waste of time. Maybe, the college can hold a workshop on campus, but I don’t think much students will show up.
Interview:
Out of the five interviewees, four said they have not participated in binge drinking.
However, three of the five have participated in pregaming. All five of the interviewees do drink. Only three of them drink on occasions and two of them drink about once a week.
Overall, when I asked what where their thoughts on how college campuses should regulate substance abuse, they basically said that colleges shouldn’t do anything or they said whatever. “Sure, I could care less” “I think colleges shouldn’t have any input on what adults do with their body.” “Honestly I don’t think there is a way, us as growing teens and young adults are going to do what we want… There’s nothing to stop us really other than huge eye opening occurrences in each and every life”
Now, ironically when I asked if they believed that YTC students have enough education when we think about binge drinking and etc. They said no…. which honestly caught me off guard, however, I will admit I had to explain what binge drink was to a few and pregaming. “no they don’t” “ummm. I don’t think so” “NO’ “maybe a little” I only had one interviewee who said yes. “We know the consequences but we will do what we want when we want. Nothing is done before we think about it, but at the same time not enough damage is done once we start drinking to prove a point to any teenager or young
adult.”
So in conclusion, YTC does not have a substance abuse issue on their hands. There isn’t much they could do to control adults who make their own decisions besides the college students learning their own lesson and dealing with their own consequences. Also, I think the response who be different if we interviewed high school students, only because they are not adults just yet so there not fully reasonable from themselves.