Binge-drinking poses huge risks
By Shantell WhiteheadRape. STDs. Car accidents. Serious injury. Fist fights. Bad grades. Death.
Would anyone knowingly partake in an activity that led to these outcomes?
While the answer should undoubtedly be no, most college students involve themselves in a ritual that could cause any and all of these consequences.
This evil is known as binge drinking.
Binge drinking, or the consumption of large amounts of alcohol during a short period of time, is a serious issue on all college campuses.
Although persons of all ages also sometimes binge drink, college-age kids are more likely to fall victim to peer-pressure and the "anything goes" attitude of college life. While drinking within reason is enjoyable and usually harmless, binge-drinking is dangerous and unhealthy. According to www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov, alcohol is the catalyst for the deaths of 1,700 18-to 24-year-olds each year.
Many of these deaths may have been the result of the estimated 2.1 million collegeA students who drove under the influence last year.
Binge drinking is especially dangerous for young women. Drinking large amounts of liquor or beer can cause anyone to become so inebriated that they are oblivious to their surroundings or black out.
This renders the woman defenseless to sexual predators, and susceptible to sexually-transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancy, and emotional trauma.
More than 97,000 young women are the victims of alcohol-related rape or sexual assault each year. Excessive drinking impairs judgment and results in poor decision-making. One split-second choice can have life-long consequences.
A quarter of college students will flunk out of college or suffer poor grades due to drinking and partying and 110,000 students will be arrested on alcohol-related charges including DUIs, minor consumptions, and public drunkenness. Partying and drinking is supposed to be fun; but how is waking up in the morning with the hangover from hell or without any recollection of the previous night enjoyable? Cutting down alcohol consumption to a drink every couple hours can ensure the safety and health of the drinker, while still maintaining a pleasurable buzz.
If someone is unable to make the distinction between drinking and bingeing, perhaps they should attempt to cut out alcohol altogether.
Making the decision to drink responsibly, or not drink at all, may be difficult when everyone else is partying without inhibitions, but it is one of the most important, and possibly even life-saving, choices a college student can make.
