College is often pegged as a time for experimentation whether that is with sexuality, drugs or alcohol. Some students who grew up with really strict parents view college as a time to branch out and be free. That being said, some college students don’t always make the best decisions as they discover themselves. For many, substance abuse can be a major issue during those early college years.
Why Does It Happen?
When students move out, they experience freedom for the first time because they don’t have someone watching their every move. Students think that peer pressure only happened in high school, but it is still a thing in college. College students peer pressure differently. Most students respect you if you decide not to drink, but when you do decide to drink, that’s when the pressure happens.
Drinking Games
Drinking games are one of the top reasons for substance abuse at college parties. You’ve probably heard of beer pong, boom cup and flip cup. All of these games intend for you to drink a lot of alcohol in a short period of time. Along with drinking games, friends pressure you to chug a beer or to finish a drink faster. They don’t mean to pressure you, it just happens because that’s the goal of going out – to get drunk.
Consequences
Continuous heavy drinking can cause many issues. You could do poorly in classes because you decided to go to the bars instead of study. Everyone knows that when you drink, you risk injuring yourself. You have seen way too many people stumble out of the bar because they can’t even walk straight, eventually to fall down and bruise themselves. Sexual assault is another unfortunate consequence that can happen if you drink to the point of blacking out. Some people might not even remember they were a victim.
College is a great time to experience life and everything it has to offer. Be careful with excessive drinking in college because it could lead to alcohol addiction down the road.
Sources:
https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/resources/college-alcohol-abuse/
