Alcohol Consumption in US Colleges and Teenage Life Style - Coursework Example

Alcohol Consumption in US Colleges/ Teenage Life Style College: Introduction In several American colleges, there is rampant consumption of Alcohol among the students. Moreover, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as the U.S. Surgeon General declared intense alcohol consumption among college students as a chief concern in public health. It was in 1953, when Straus and Bacon first reported alcohol consumption behaviors in colleges and their unconstructive effects. Since then, the occurrence of alcohol consumption on colleges has rocketed. For over half a century, excessive alcohol consumption and the unsafe behaviors frequently linked with such indulgence are serious risks to the physical and mental health of college life (Koyama, 2005). In addition, according to latest studies, 13% of females and 24% of male college students in the United States meet clinical criterion for an alcohol consumption disease. Further estimates indicate that approximately 44% of college students have had more than five drinks on one instance in the month before medical examination and that nearly one-third drive while drunk (Beck et al, 2008). Causes and Effects of Alcohol Consumption in U.S. Colleges Heavy indulgence in alcohol consumption among college students in the United States occurs between the ages of 18 and 22. This group of students drinks too much than any other age group even their age non-college peers. The major cause of this indulgence is due to changes in human growth and the surroundings. For example, when students enroll in college, they live away from their parents and other relatives. Consequently, they have excess freedom to practice whatever is at their disposal since their parents are no longer there to control them. Another cause of heavy indulgence in alcohol by college students is the presence of high academic requirements in campuses. This may cause the students to indulge in alcohol consumption as a means to keep away from these forces. Moreover, most college students may indulge in alcohol consumption due to socio-cultural forces to change from childhood into maturity. These pressures may be intimidating because of the widened social responsibilities that adults assume. In addition, some college students might consume alcohol due to maladapted conducts learned prior to enrolling in college (Koyama, 2005). White (2006) adds that in the United States, noteworthy increases in alcohol consumption transpire during the switch from high school to college. Additionally, first-year college students have extra free time at their disposal than they had while in high school. Consequently, they spend most of this free time socializing and meeting new friends. Due to peer influence, they will tend to copy what their friends are doing or approves. Moreover, first year college students face more pressures than they did in high school. For instance, they find it difficult to balance social forces with academic roles, which might generate stress. In effect, some students might rely on alcohol to handle this stress and connect with peers who also take alcohol to survive and who support such behavior. Additionally, first-year students may identify alcohol consumption as normative behavior among their peers and might come to college with constructive alcohol expectancies. This means that, augmented alcohol consumption by fresh college students might be for constructive reasons and for unconstructive reasons. Very many negative consequences accompany heavy indulgence in alcohol consumption. First, heavy drinking might cause severe health complications to the users. This may include heart disease, liver disease and different forms of cancers. Besides, the lasting health effects of extreme alcohol consumption, recurrent alcohol consumption among college students can cause other physical and social consequences. These include alcohol poisoning, fainting, academic failure, lethal and nonfatal physical damages and aggression. They also include sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, rape and battering, property destruction, occupational and criminal effects that might endanger future job hopes as well as unplanned pregnancy. All these effects might affect the students’ future life and responsibilities. Consequently, they become irresponsible adults in the future (Koyama, 2005). Statistics indicate that in 2001, there were more than 500,000 accidental injuries and over 1700 U.S. college student deaths that were alcohol linked. Moreover, there are second-hand unconstructive outcomes from extreme alcohol consumption by students experienced by others in college and in local areas, including shame and sleep commotions (White, 2006). Beck, et al (2008) adds that heavy drinking leads to frequent unlikable academic effects among college students. These include missing class and falling behind in schoolwork. Mitigation and Recommendations Attempts to mitigate the effects linked with alcohol consumption by college students have engaged diverse approaches. These approaches include guidance and treatment for heavy drinkers, accelerated judicial procedures and augmented disciplinary endorsements. In addition to these strategies, there is the employment of social marketing strategies to curb these effects. These strategies encourage a dormant healthy drinking standard in hopes that it will push students to lessen their individual consumption. In addition, professionals have employed population measures to mitigate alcohol consumption among college students. In effect, the population approaches have revealed efficiency in curbing the problems accruing from heavy alcohol consumption. The effectual population-based measure include increasing alcohol taxes and prices, reducing accessibility of alcohol to juvenile drinkers, altering the conditions of accessibility by limiting channels and establishing obligatory responsible beverage service. These measures reduce the harm inflicted by heavy indulgence in alcohol consumption by College students. These intercessions control all members of a population and effect in progressive transformation at the personal level, resulting in huge public health benefits (Weitzman & Nelson, 2004). In addition, other measures employed to mitigate the effects caused by heavy drinking include brief interventions. These measures may occur in different set-ups including crisis rooms, emergency centers, physicians’ offices and college health centers. These measures are less expensive and, therefore, can reach many people, particularly college students (White, 2006). Beck, et al (2008) suggests that one possible solution for this problem would be to devise thrilling, amusing and inventive activities for students to undertake. This would help them expand and articulate their social competencies without using alcohol and fulfill their requirements for hospitality. Such opportunities have to be adequately attractive and exhilarating especially to students who are prone to being hospitable and daring. As White (2006) adds, more efficient prevention plans would help students to go securely through this dangerous developmental stage. More importantly, it is vital to reach vulnerable students who do not naturally look for help. In addition, Colleges should execute innovative approaches for screening and early classification of vulnerable students and make sure that treatment is easily accessible to those in need. Conclusion Apparently, excessive alcohol consumption is prevalent in most U.S. Colleges. Most College students in the U.S. indulge in heavy alcohol consumption mainly due to excessive freedom. Most of these students feel that their parents are very protective when they are at home, hence find a good opportunity to do as they please while in campus. In addition, peer influence plays a major role in alcohol consumption among college students. The students find it hard to choose new friends while in college, hence linking with bad companies. There are several detrimental effects of indulgence in alcohol consumption among college students. Most severely, most students die out of excessive intake of alcohol due to liver damage. In addition, there are social effects including sexual abuse, brutality, academic failure and property damage. College administrators need to undertake fresh measures to curb these problems. There should be frequent guidance and counseling to the addicted victims. In addition, the government should undertake approaches to reduce sale of alcohol to juvenile users and restrict accessibility of alcohol to college students. References Beck, K.H. et al. (2008). Social Context of Drinking and Alcohol Problems among College Students. American Journal of Health Behavior, 32, 4, 420-430. Koyama, C. (2005). Acculturation Stress and Alcohol Use among International College Students in a U.S. Community College Setting. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd0926200535714/unrestricted/Koyama_Dissertation.pdf Weitzman, E.R. & Nelson, T.F. (2004). College Student Binge Drinking and the Prevention Paradox: Implications for Prevention and Harm Reduction. Journal of Drug Education, 34, 3, 247-266. White, H.R. (2006). Reduction of alcohol-related harm on United States college campuses: The use of personal feedback interventions. International Journal of Drug Policy, 17, 1, 310-319. Read More