According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, four out of five college students drink alcohol. Half of these students that drink also binge drink, which is defined as consuming between 4 to 5 drinks in two hours. This is a dangerous amount of alcohol and can have many health consequences if done on a regular basis. Alcohol abuse in college also accounts for 1,825 deaths and 599,000 assaults each year. Over 150,000 develop health related problems due to their drinking.

But why are college students more likely to binge drink than other age groups? A lot of things factor into this.

• Social situations. Many social activities attended by college students revolve around drinking (i.e. parties and tailgates). Most students feel the need to participate in the drinking to be able to attend the events and not stick out.
• Easy access. Like mentioned above, everything revolved around alcohol so it is easy to get, even if you are underage.
• More freedom. College students, especially freshman, are not necessarily used to the newfound freedom they have. They are likely to rebel and do new things, like drinking, that they were not allowed to do while living at home.

Increase in alcohol use can have more than negative health effects. It can also cause academic problems. Students who drink are more likely to fall behind by missing classes and failing important exams.

Misusing alcohol during college, or at any age, is a serious problem. If you or someone you love is dealing with this problem, Seabrook can help. Call us anytime at 856-761-7575 for more information.