COLLEGIATE “RISKY DRINKING” IS ON THE RISE, ENDANGERING OUR FUTURE LEADERS

The United States has more than four thousand college and university campuses where young adults receive educations that allow them to be the physicians, lawyers, architects, engineers, statesmen, educators, and leaders of tomorrow. This bright future is threatened by increased “risky drinking” patterns among college students – more binge drinking (five or more drinks at one sitting), more instances of binge drinking each month, more intoxication, more drunk driving, and more drinking with the intent of getting drunk.

Recent studies have revealed this increase in problem drinking in our colleges and universities and the intolerable penalties this drinking exacts. In 2001, 1,717 college students died from unintentional alcohol-related injuries. According to the Surgeon General’s Office, each year 700,000 students are assaulted by other students who have been drinking; 100,000 students are victims of alcohol-related sexual assaults or date rape; 50% of binge drinkers fall behind in their schoolwork as a result of alcohol use. Alcohol abuse is also associated with lower grade point averages, suspensions, and missed classes.

What’s more, the Surgeon General’s office states that 80% of college students drink alcohol but nearly half the students at these institutions are under 21 years of age, meaning that much of this drinking is underage.

“Nationally, the issues of underage and collegiate drinking have just begun to receive an appropriate level of focus,” stated Ryan Thorpe, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers located in Canadian, Oklahoma.

Congress responded last December by passing the STOP Act, a national plan to curtail underage drinking. Additionally, the Acting Surgeon General has just released a Call to Action to reduce underage drinking. He pointed out that 18-to-20 year olds have the highest manifestation of the symptoms of alcohol dependence of any age group.

“In order to maintain our hope of a bright future, we must be able to rehabilitate our young people when they lose their enthusiasm for study and life due to a dependence on alcohol. We have to accomplish this change by educating our youth and rehabilitating those who have become dependent on alcohol. We can’t expect beer and liquor companies to stop directing their advertising at our youth. They would stand to lose $22.5 billion dollars a year if underage drinking were eliminated.”

Narconon Arrowhead’s Thorpe went on to explain that more than one third of all inquiries about the rehabilitation services at Narconon Arrowhead for young adults aged 18-25 years old involve alcohol abuse. “We specialize in withdrawing people safely from drugs and alcohol, in removing the toxic residuals that cause cravings, and in building the life skills that help people stay safe from drug and alcohol abuse in the future.”

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