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According to research by the University of Texas at Austin, college students drink larger amounts of alcohol on football game days than on other well-known drinking days such as New Year's Eve and Halloween.

Kim Fromme, an author of the study and director of the University's Studies on Alcohol, Health and Risky Activities Laboratory, commented on the findings: "Most events associated with heavy drinking occur only once a year, such as Spring Break, or once in a lifetime, such as a 21st birthday, but the weekly football schedule presents students with more regular opportunities to drink."

Fromme and co-author Dan J. Neal of Kent State University observed students during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 University of Texas at Austin football seasons. They found that students were especially likely to drink more during high-profile games against conference or national rivals. However, the increased rates only occurred when students were actually on campus.

Fromme commented on this phenomenon: "These results indicate drinking is connected not only to the game itself, but to the social context associated with the event."

(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)

Labels: alcohol, sports, college-drinking

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Fairfield University of Fairfield, Conn., has a problem with alcohol. Between 2007 and 2008, the University experienced a 70 percent increase in cases of alcohol disciplinary action. According to the Princeton Review, Fairfield University ranks third in the nation for usage of hard alcohol on campus.

One student commented, "The alcohol is more accessible than drugs, and that makes it more dangerous because people will indulge more into it."

According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, Fairfield University is leading a nationwide trend. CASA also states that "the abuse of prescription drugs and marijuana has increased dramatically since the mid-1990s."

Students say that drinking is the most common form of substance use because it is perceived to be safer than drugs and the consequences associated with getting caught are much less severe for alcohol than for other substances.

Student Ryan King echoes the misguided perception of many college students: "I think [students] drink more because of the perception that it's safer, and because it's legal. It doesn't mean that alcohol is safe, but it's safer than taking drugs."

Unfortunately, alcohol poisoning and alcohol-related injuries and fatalities are continuing realities on many college campuses, fueled by the idea that "alcohol is safer than drugs." Experts estimate that over 1,700 college students die each year from alcohol-related accidents and injuries, and each year approximately 599,000 college students are unintentionally injured while under the influence of alcohol.

(Sources: www.fairfieldmirror.com, www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov)

Labels: alcohol, prescription-drug-abuse, college-drinking

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Since 2006, liquor law violations at Sacramento State University have decreased. Violations have also decreased throughout the California State University (CSU) system.

According to the fourth biennial report on CSU's Alcohol Policies and Prevention programs, the overall number of students abusing alcohol has declined since the University first initiated alcohol abuse prevention efforts in 2001.

CSU's alcohol policies and prevention programs require each campus in the CSU system to report the status and progress of alcohol education and prevention efforts every two years. The goal is to decrease and prevent alcohol-related incidents among students, including drunk driving, underage drinking, binge drinking, and alcohol-related injuries and fatalities.

Cyndra Krogen-Morton, professional staff and health educator of Sacramento State's Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Education Program, commented on the encouraging trend: "I am very excited about it. We have been working hard with the law enforcement and Alcoholic Beverage Control. I'm happy that the chancellor's efforts are paying off."

(Source: media.www.statehornet.com)

Labels: alcohol, binge drinking, underage-drinking, college-drinking, substance use

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Colby College hosted a speaker this week on the topic of college drinking. Robert Dana, vice president for student affairs at University of Maine at Orono, travels across the country speaking on the topic of alcohol abuse on college campuses. Dana commented, "I think alcohol and college students is a real problem everywhere. ... It's a societal problem. ... If we're going to effectively address it, we have to do something about it."

Dana believes that the problem is not easily solvable and requires collaboration by students, staff, law enforcement, substance-abuse professionals, and others. "You can't take a tremendously complicated public-health problem and wink and nod it away; you've got to embrace it."

The April 12th arrest of two intoxicated Colby students for assault and trespassing brought the issue of student drinking to the forefront. The college has instituted policies and procedures over the last several years which have resulted in decreasing numbers of alcohol-related arrests. Dana believes that talking, thinking, and acting on the issue are important for all colleges because alcohol and substance abuse extend far beyond the campus. "It allows us to be always engaging the subject, which is a major public health crisis in this country. The reality is, there are all sorts of things that cause substance-abuse problems, and we're living in a substance-abusing culture."

(Source: www.morningsentinel.mainetoday.com)

Labels: alcohol, college-drinking, drinking, students

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A new study from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) indicates that nearly half of all full-time college students in the United States abuse drugs or binge on alcohol at least once a month.

An article published in the student newspaper of the College of Eastern Utah highlighted these and other disturbing statistics. A 2005 study conducted about Utah found that although teen drivers represent 7 percent of licensed drivers in the state, they were involved in 27 percent of all motor vehicle crashes and 18 percent of fatal motor vehicle crashes. Drug and alcohol abuse are implicated in many of these crashes. Studies have also found that teen drivers with teen passengers are at even higher risk of being involved in a serious motor vehicle accident.

(Source: eagle.ceu.edu)

Labels: college-drinking, teen-drug-abuse, teen-alcohol-abuse

Posted By: jgarcia 0 Comments

In light of all of the high school graduations coming up in the next week or so, it seems appropriate to bring up some interesting information about drinking and alcohol abuse in college.

Most people have heard the stories of the binge drinking and hazing at parties in college, and most people just chalk it up to the folly of youth. And really, isnt half the fun of college; being able to go out and have a good time, making your own mistakes without having to answer to your parents? Even though all of the parties and all of the drinking might be fun, there are some pretty serious consequences to these patterns of drinking in college.

In high school, alcohol is definitely present, but in college, around half of the students are legal drinking age, which makes alcohol even more accessible. But if everyone is drinking, then whats the big deal?

According to this study that I found on another blog, drinking in college can increase the risk for alcoholism in people who are already at risk for becoming an alcoholic.

Even if you are not predisposed to alcoholism, there is a whole set of dangers that are a consequence of alcohol abuse. Teens and college aged students who abuse alcohol are more likely to have unsafe, unprotected sex, are more likely to drive drunk (which we all know is not a good idea), and are more likely to have health problems as a result of their alcohol use. The bottom line is that no matter what, alcohol abuse has serious consequences and should be taken seriously.

A good way to prevent the consequences of alcohol abuse is to stay away from situations and that might encourage you to abuse alcohol. An interesting tool that might help you to do that is a set of questions for parents and students about the level of drinking (specifically binge drinking) on a college campus.

Understandably, most of us are looking to have fun in college, but there are definitely limits that should be placed on that fun.

Labels: college-drinking, teen-addiction, teen-substance-abuse, binge-drinking, teen-drug-help, teen-alcohol-abuse, teen-rehab

Posted By: beth 0 Comments