Binge Drinking Among College Students Individuals make numerous choices throughout their lives that shape the course of their future, both for the better and the worse. College is one of the first times most individuals face various challenges, both academically and personally. One of the most common decisions individuals struggle with during college is whether or not to experiment with alcohol and/or drugs. While most college students drink socially at fraternity parties or after football games, a certain percentage of college students drink more frequently, engaging in what is often referred to as binge drinking. Although most adults and society view college drinking as relatively harmless, the fact is that binge drinking presents many threats to college students as well as society in general, both emotionally and physically.

There are a multitude of issues related to binge drinking among college students. Statistics regarding binge drinking among college students magnify the gravity of the problem. At least two out of every five U.S. college students regularly binge drink, resulting in approximately 1,400 student deaths yearly, a distressing number of assaults and rapes, a shameful amount of vandalism, and countless cases of academic suicide. (Wechsler). Likewise, there are additional costs associated with underage drinking. In fact, one estimate puts the cost of underage drinking at around $53 billion a year, including $18 billion associated with traffic crashes that threaten the general public. (Wechsler). Shockingly, nearly 57% percent of frequent binge drinkers and 40% of occasional binge drinkers admit getting behind the wheel after drinking. (Wechsler).

One reason binge drinking among college students is so prevalent is that it does not appear that college students view binge drinking as a serious problem or understand its consequences. Evidence indicates that approximately 86% to 95% of all college students drink alcoholic beverages. (Engs, Presley). Problems associated with binge...

(Wechsler H., Davenport A., Dowdall G., Moeykens B., Castillo S., Rethinking Rites of Passage). Nearly half of college freshmen rode in a car with someone legally drunk. (Wechsler H., Isaac N.). Binge drinking is identified as the leading health hazard for American college students. (Wechsler H., Isaac N., Wechsler H., Isaac N., Wechsler H., Davenport A., Dowdall G., Moeykens B., Castillo S., Wechsler H., Dowdall GW., Davenport A., Castillo S., Wechsler H., Dowall G., Davenport A., Rimm RB.). Other research suggests that the wide availability and accessibility of alcohol makes alcohol a "gateway" drug, much like marijuana, that leads to the use of other dangerous drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, methamphetamine, etc. (Kandel DB., Yamaguchi K., Chen K.).
III. CONCLUSION

Drinking among college students is generally viewed as a "rite of passage," a way to enter adulthood without having all of the "burdens" (i.e., having to work to pay the bills, supporting a family, etc.) that are normally associated with adulthood. While most college students engage in "innocent" experimentation…