Colleges and universities are notorious for being an incubator of substance abuse problems, especially when it comes to alcoholism. With roughly 80% of college students being current drinkers, and half of them binge drinkers, the amount of alcohol consumed is highly dangerous.
While some people might shrug this off as a rite of passage or part of the “college experience,” the problems associated with the heavy drinking on campus are numerous and extensive. For example, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), more than 1,800 students die each year from alcohol-related injuries, with another 600,000 receiving non-fatal injuries. There are also close to 700,00 assaults and nearly 100,000 sexual assaults.
Clearly, the problem is much larger than many people want to admit, unless it’s happening to their loved ones. As one university newspaper pointed out, there is also the issue of students moving past the point of alcohol abuse to chronic heavy drinkers and eventually into alcoholism. There are different forms of alcohol use disorders, and it is often difficult to detect when there is so much drinking going on to find the ones who really need the most help.
Changing this behavior takes concerted efforts from multiple sources, not the least of which is the Colleges themselves. While most of them have rules for dorms, school-sponsored events and underage drinking, they’re not doing much else about the problem. Having campus-wide awareness programs and support systems in place could be a huge step in avoiding bigger problems for most students.
If you have a loved one who has developed a drinking problem and is in need of help, contact us today to find out more about our treatment program and how we can help.
