Medically Reviewed
How Alcohol Abuse Affects College Students

Losing Focus of Priorities
Young adults are introduced to a plethora of different pressures in college. When they first step foot on campus they are likely to be excited, and even a little bit nervous about all of the unknown adventures that await them. They are probably focused on their academic goals and hopeful of achievements they have envisioned their entire childhood. Then, before they know it, they are pulled into a world encapsulated with nonstop parties, drinking challenges, and the pressure to fit in. They start struggling to keep up with their studies, not even realizing the emotional damage that their drinking is doing. Their grades begin to drop and their GPA starts to suffer. Suddenly, everything they worked so hard to achieve begins to fall by the wayside, as they prioritize drinking over everything else that once meant so much to them.Dangerous Situations
How alcohol abuse affects college students is continually being studied but according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), binge drinking is becoming a major area of concern. An overwhelming 38% of college students will drink to excess just over the course of a month. This rate is far higher than young adults of the same age who choose not to attend college. Alcohol can also become an aggravator in the already dangerous college campus dynamic of sexual assault. It’s no secret that physical safety has been of grave concern on college campuses for years. Between 20% and 25% of female college students will be sexually assaulted at some point while attending college. Of that number of assaults, at least half of them will involve alcohol. That number in itself is quite sobering. This is why when a person’s drinking becomes out of control, it is important to seek out sobriety through the right kind of treatment program. This can mean a rehab facility or a sober living environment. There is no shame in seeking out help when alcohol becomes unmanageable.Sources
- https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/time-for-parents-discuss-risks-college-drinking
- https://www.alcohol.org/effects/sexual-assault-college-campus/
- https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_2361/ShortReport-2361.html