September 13, 2019
A student’s first year of college in Indiana should be an exciting one! Unfortunately, it may turn out differently for those who turn to binge drinking. Engaging in binge drinking can ruin a student’s college career and the numbers have risen in recent years.
The National Center for Education Statistics releases a lengthy study of criminal trends on college campuses and schools. This study provides criminal details about schools to help these schools focus on safety. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, referrals for alcohol violations have increased. From 2001 to 2015, liquor law violations are up by 42 percent. Several factors may contribute to the rise in underage drinking on college campuses, but one factor, in particular, is of note.
According to Edward-Elmhurst Health, binge drinking affects 40 percent of college students. The definition of binge drinking is more than four drinks for women in a couple of hours and five drinks for men in a couple of hours. In the first year of college, some freshmen decide to forego the concern of weight gain and choose a liquid diet instead.
Students will restrict food intact to compensate for the heavy drinking that they plan to follow through with the next day. In some cases, they may even restrict food so that they can become drunk quicker. When you do not eat before you drink, you can enhance the effects of alcohol. This is dangerous, however. It can result in alcohol poisoning and blackouts.
For some students, binge drinking is a compensatory behavior that leads to dangerous consequences.