Essays - Applying the Sociological Perspective
From Henry L. Tischler's Introduction to Sociology College-Age Drinking as a Health ProblemEvery semester when we read about the deaths of college students from acute alcohol overdoses, we are reminded that despite progress in reducing under-age drinking in the United States, alcohol consumption by college students remains a persistent problem.
In a national random survey of college students (Weschler et al., 1994), 41% of students reported binge drinking during the previous two weeks. Binge drinking consisted of five or more drinks at a single occasion for men and four or more for women. Nearly half the students in this survey were under 21. Yet the amount of binge drinking did not differ between those under or over 21. This percentage of binge drinking is even greater than that for non-students of the same age (36%) or high-school seniors (28%).
As a group, binge drinkers were significantly more likely than non-binge drinkers to report, after drinking, having: suffered hangovers, done things they regretted, missed classes, forgotten where they were or what they did, lagged behind in schoolwork, argued with friends, been hurt or injured, had unplanned sexual relations, not used protection when having sex, damaged property, and been in trouble with the police.
Even the non-binge-drinking students were affected by the drinkers. At schools with high binge levels, the non-drinking students were more likely to experience assaults, property damage, interrupted sleep, unwanted sexual advances, serious quarrels, and having to take care of a drunk student than those at low-binge-level schools.
College-age binge drinking also leads to traffic fatalities. Car crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States for people under age 25. In 1996, 10,431 people between ages 15 and 24 died in motor vehicle crashes, and 4,461 (45%) of those were alcohol-related deaths.
National research comparing the blood alcohol level of drivers in single-vehicle fatal crashes have found that each 0.02% increase in blood alcohol level nearly doubles the risk of a fatal crash. For drivers under age 21, the risk of a fatal crash increases even more rapidly than it does for older drivers. Such drivers have had less road experience and as a group more often take risks such as speeding or failing to wear seat belts.
How should college campuses respond to under-age drinking and driving after drinking? This question has been a contentious topic of debate on many campuses. Some argue that tough campus alcohol restriction drives alcohol consumption off campus and into the surrounding communities, where it could produce even greater dangers. Some even suggest that the drinking age should be lowered so that teenagers can learn to drink safely before they leave home for college.
To address the problem, students must themselves become involved
in the solution. If only city and college officials deal with the
issue, the initiatives may appear paternalistic and engender resistance
among the students. Student leaders need to be involved in educating
their peers about the risks posed by alcohol, not only to the frequent
binge drinkers, but to the college community in general. Emphasis
should be placed on protecting the rights of those negatively
affected by binge drinkers, very much like we emphasize the rights
of innocent drunk driving victims.
Source: "College-Age Drinking Problems," by R. W. Hingson, Public Health Reports 113, January/February 1998.