Most colleges and universities around the world are no strangers when it comes to their students and binge-drinking problems. Sure, students are there to receive an education, but along with academics, athletics and extracurricular activities usually come partying, this is where alcohol comes in.

Several schools are located close to bars or liquor stores and act as a host to keg parties, excessive drinking games, day drinking festivities and crazy booze filled spring break vacations.

So what exactly is binge drinking, and why is it so prevalent in young adults? According to About.com, substance abuse can be defined as “a pattern of harmful use of any substance for mood-alternating purposes while binge-drinking is considered to have five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women in less than a two-hour time span.”

Unfortunately, the range of “substance abuse” is going above and beyond with young adults as they are branching out from excessive drinking and experimenting with prescription drugs. Substance abuse is on the rise as young adults are experimenting with pills either by ingesting or snorting them.

The problem with this is that most young adults think that only illegal drugs are considered to be a substance abuse problem. But statistics are revealing that alcohol is extremely prevalent and abused by young adults, and while alcohol is legal for those over 21, it is also considered more deadly than other drugs. According to AboveTheInfluence.com, “alcohol kills more teens than any other illegal drug combined.Every year, nearly 5,000 people under the age of 21 will die as a result of alcohol consumption.”

While many believe it helps you to calm down or relax, an excessive intake can cause loss of coordination, memory, judgment and the ability to make rational decisions as well as slow down your reaction time. According to a study conducted by Virginia Tech’s AlcoholAbusePreventionCenter, alcohol first affects the part of the brain that controls your inhibitions.

Between having a blood alcohol content of .06-.10 the effects include impaired sexual pleasure, reasoning and depth perception. Once a person’s BAC reaches between the ranges of .11-.20 the body reacts with effects of emotional swings, staggering and slurred speech.

Between having a BAC of .21-.39, this is where death becomes possible, one loses understanding, loses consciousness, blacks out and breathing, heart rate and bladder function become a concern at this point. According to Urban75.com, statistics show that alcohol gives you a loss of inhibition. College students have admitted to engaging in activities and the use of other drugs which they would not have other wise done if they had not been under the influence of alcohol.

Men are more likely to become aggressive and confrontational under the influence of excessive alcohol use while women are often likely to be more vulnerable to sexual assault. And according to CBS News Health Watch, “colleges and universities with higher rates of binge drinking also have more rapes.” Additionally, “nearly three-quarters of rape victims reported being intoxicated at the time of the attack.”

As of 2011, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, while college students commonly binge drink, 70% of binge drinking episodes involve people 26 years of age or older.

To receive more information on binge-drinking and alcoholism, or if you think you might struggle with a drinking problem, please visit www.alcoholscreening.org for a free assessment test. And if you feel your drinking is out of control, please visit www.drugrehabcenter.com in order to seek help.

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About the author

Elizabeth Lowry
Elizabeth graduated from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University with her specialization in Broadcast News as well as a minor in business and psychology. She enjoys writing, reading and researching about humanitarian affairs, health & fitness, fashion and sports. In her free time she enjoys working out, traveling and exploring different cultures, trying new things and spending time with her Chocolate Lab.