National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness is next week starting on Oct. 16th – 22nd. This is a week to relay information to students about the dangers of alcohol.
The Issue
College and Universities are raising awareness of the alcohol issues on their designated campuses. It is a friendly reminder given to students about alcohol abuse prevention, as well as, bring attention to public health issues from excessive drinking students do. In fact, big events like homecoming, football games and any big celebration on campus can lead to students excessively drinking.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 60 percent of college students, 18- 22 years of age, drank in the past month. Every 2 out of 3 admitted to binge drinking within that same month. Binge drinking is a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level 0.8. That is equivalent to four drinks for women and five drinks for men within 2 hours.
It is often students are struggling and accustomed to peer pressure when foregoing their first year of college. Students going to a school with prominent athletics and large Greek club organizations tend to fall under that pressure more than other schools. 1,825 college students between the ages of 18-24, die from alcohol related issues, which includes operating motor vehicles while intoxicated.
How to Fix the Issue
Granted, some students may not be aware of the problems alcohol can cause before entering a college atmosphere. So, alcohol abuse prevention can start with the parents at home. Research shows that parents who have talked with their kids about alcohol are less likely to abuse alcohol.
So when addressing the issue of college drinking, schools need to identify who their target audience is. Going off statistics; incoming freshmen, Greek clubs and student-athletes would be the main abusers of alcohol. These groups to recognize the common issue with drinking, which would further lead to less drinks, fewer risks taken and lead to less consequences.
Blurb: If they know these facts they can, “Drink Smarter, Not Harder”
Getting attention can be tough as a college or university, so there are a few ways to reel in the students. Educations and Awareness programs that require the whole campuses
participation is always a good start. These programs can involve demonstrations, reenactments or movies that will grab the attention of the students.
Another way of getting students to be aware is hosting a motivational speaker that may have been through problems involving alcohol. This will give students the idea that it can happen to anybody, and that no one is invincible when it comes to alcohol abuse.