The simplest answer to this is they most obvious, it's because they can.
Alcohol abuse is an easy trap to fall into. Repeat offenders are not disciplined, there are so few immediate penalties for extreme drinking, students get varied messages from the college administration about alcohol, parents are not notified about their children's drinking activities, students are not told about the long-term negative outcomes of alcohol abuse, students have seen their parents drinking alcohol in an reckless manner, minors or intoxicated students are served alcoholic beverages by the local drinking establishments, there are few alcohol-free social and leisure activities that are attractive to students, and the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities are not monitored are all reasons leading to not only drinking but excessive drinking.
What might compel a student to drink alcohol? Without adding peer pressure or influence to the mix, when ignoring that drinking alcohol only temporarily removes a person from his or her problems, when overlooking the idea or perception that drinking alcohol makes it easier to interact with possible dating or sexual partners, when casting aside it being so tolerable to participate in activities that highlight the drinking of alcohol, when the "good feelings" or the "fun" of getting an alcohol high or buzz are not considered, and when the party atmosphere at college is no longer an expectation by students, only then does it become harder to determine what might cause college students to abuse alcohol. For all of the reasons above are factors in driving our college campuses to alcohol abuse.
More Than Education is Needed. While I am 100% pro-education, especially when it comes to drug and alcohol abuse prevention, I do not think that education is the only solution or the only weapon that can be successfully used in the battle against college drug and alcohol abuse. Let me explain.
First, we have to look at being both proactive and reactive. With this concept in mind, alcohol abuse has begun to be dealt with in with many reactive and proactive measures at some colleges and universities. These measures have included the reducing of the availability and acceptability while punishing the irresponsibility of alcohol use on and off campus. The result has been a reduction of alcohol related problems started by students.
What are some of these measures in place? Establishing immediate consequences for excessive drinking, disciplining repeat alcohol abuse offenders, notifying parents about their children's drinking activities, eliminating mixed messages by college administrators about alcohol (for instance, removing alcohol advertisements from tadiums and from sports brochures), informing students about the long-tern negative consequences of alcohol abuse, increasing alcohol-free social and recreational activities that are attractive to students, having college administrators talk to the owners of local drinking establishments so that minors and/or intoxicated students are not served alcohol, and monitoring the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities. All of these have worked toward the goal of our campuses being free from alcohol abuse.
While medical research and treatment are positive steps, they are not enough. The above proactive and reactive measures, most of which are not education-based, are needed to compliment educational approaches alongside medical intervention if necessary. Even if the advancements in medical treatments can eliminate addictions, there will still be those who need it that will make every opportunity to avoid the chance. They will choose to disregard medical warnings, ignore their health, and who will discount common sense as they involve themselves in alcohol and/or drug abuse.
Alcohol abuse is an easy trap to fall into. Repeat offenders are not disciplined, there are so few immediate penalties for extreme drinking, students get varied messages from the college administration about alcohol, parents are not notified about their children's drinking activities, students are not told about the long-term negative outcomes of alcohol abuse, students have seen their parents drinking alcohol in an reckless manner, minors or intoxicated students are served alcoholic beverages by the local drinking establishments, there are few alcohol-free social and leisure activities that are attractive to students, and the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities are not monitored are all reasons leading to not only drinking but excessive drinking.
What might compel a student to drink alcohol? Without adding peer pressure or influence to the mix, when ignoring that drinking alcohol only temporarily removes a person from his or her problems, when overlooking the idea or perception that drinking alcohol makes it easier to interact with possible dating or sexual partners, when casting aside it being so tolerable to participate in activities that highlight the drinking of alcohol, when the "good feelings" or the "fun" of getting an alcohol high or buzz are not considered, and when the party atmosphere at college is no longer an expectation by students, only then does it become harder to determine what might cause college students to abuse alcohol. For all of the reasons above are factors in driving our college campuses to alcohol abuse.
More Than Education is Needed. While I am 100% pro-education, especially when it comes to drug and alcohol abuse prevention, I do not think that education is the only solution or the only weapon that can be successfully used in the battle against college drug and alcohol abuse. Let me explain.
First, we have to look at being both proactive and reactive. With this concept in mind, alcohol abuse has begun to be dealt with in with many reactive and proactive measures at some colleges and universities. These measures have included the reducing of the availability and acceptability while punishing the irresponsibility of alcohol use on and off campus. The result has been a reduction of alcohol related problems started by students.
What are some of these measures in place? Establishing immediate consequences for excessive drinking, disciplining repeat alcohol abuse offenders, notifying parents about their children's drinking activities, eliminating mixed messages by college administrators about alcohol (for instance, removing alcohol advertisements from tadiums and from sports brochures), informing students about the long-tern negative consequences of alcohol abuse, increasing alcohol-free social and recreational activities that are attractive to students, having college administrators talk to the owners of local drinking establishments so that minors and/or intoxicated students are not served alcohol, and monitoring the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities. All of these have worked toward the goal of our campuses being free from alcohol abuse.
While medical research and treatment are positive steps, they are not enough. The above proactive and reactive measures, most of which are not education-based, are needed to compliment educational approaches alongside medical intervention if necessary. Even if the advancements in medical treatments can eliminate addictions, there will still be those who need it that will make every opportunity to avoid the chance. They will choose to disregard medical warnings, ignore their health, and who will discount common sense as they involve themselves in alcohol and/or drug abuse.
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