5 Statistics About College Binge Drinking That Will Shock You
About 40% of college students admit to binge drinking, according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Binge drinking is typically defined as having an excessive amount of alcohol over the span of two hours (five or more drinks for men, and four or more for women, although binges tend to be about eight drinks). Because engaging in this behavior can lead to serious short-term and long-term consequences, it is important for students and parents to be aware of possible causes and risk factors.
When we drink alcohol to excess, our bodies are affected almost immediately, and even though the drunkenness might wear off by the next day, repeated binge drinking episodes can cause more permanent health problems. Some common side effects in the short term include poor executive functioning, dehydration, low blood sugar, and alcohol poisoning, which kills more than 1500 college students each year.
In the long term, the signs of repeated alcohol abuse manifest in many ways. Binge drinkers and alcoholics (note that there is a difference, and not all alcoholics binge drink or vice versa) are at a higher risk of cirrhosis, some cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure, and memory problems such as dementia. Also, the more binge drinking episodes someone has, the more likely they are to contract a sexually transmitted disease caused by sexual assault or poor judgement.
In addition to its effects on health, binge drinking indirectly kills and harms people in other ways. Being intoxicated lowers people’s inhibitions so that they become more likely to act violently or hurt themselves accidentally. It is estimated that 600,000 college students injure themselves and 700,000 are physically assaulted every year due to heavy drinking.
Ironically, even though drinking too much can be provoked by poor mental health, it often exacerbates the symptoms and is associated with depression. 25% of college students report that their drinking behavior has hurt their academic performance in some way; this is likely to lead to stress and anxiety. Binge drinking also can hurt relationships due to an intoxicated person acting out in ways they normally wouldn’t.
There are various reasons that students, especially freshmen moving out for the first time, start abusing alcohol: peer pressure, depression, unstructured time, stress, and easier access to alcohol are a few. Because of factors like these, 20% of college students fit the criteria for alcohol use disorder, also known as alcoholism. Students who drink should think critically about their reasons for drinking and consider seeing a mental health professional if they feel like their alcohol use is negatively impacting them.
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