Binge drinking, pill abuse intensify at colleges
SuzannePjam
Posts: 411
Ahhh... those were the days.
Binge drinking, pill abuse intensify at colleges
Report warns of dangers of ‘extreme’ substance abuse among students
Substance abuse on college campuses is nothing new, but it is taking a more extreme and dangerous form, with higher rates of frequent binge drinking and prescription drug abuse, and more negative consequences for students such as arrests and risky sexual behavior.
That’s the portrait painted by a new, comprehensive report tying together a range of recent research on college substance abuse, supplemented with some of its own new survey data.
The report by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, argues substance abuse isn’t an inevitable rite of passage for young adults. Rather, it argues a particular culture of excessive consumption has flourished on college campuses, and calls on educators to take bolder stands against students and alumni to combat it.
“If they make this a priority they can do something about it,” said Joseph Califano, chairman and president of the center, who among other steps called on colleges and the NCAA to stop allowing alcohol advertising during high-profile events like the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Alarming findings
The report, being released Thursday, relies largely on research that has already appeared in various forms, but assembles it to emphasize findings particular to college students.
Among the highlights:
• The proportion of students who drink (about 68 percent) and binge drink (40 percent) has changed little since 1993. But there have been substantial increases in the number of students who binge drink frequently (take five drinks at a time, three or more times in two weeks), who drink 10 or more times a month, and who get drunk three or more times in a month.
• Though still used by far fewer students than alcohol, hundreds of thousands more students are abusing prescription drugs including Ritalin, Adderall and OxyContin than during the early 1990s. The proportion of students using marijuana daily has more than doubled to about 4 percent.
• Analyzing outside survey data, the Center calculated 23 percent of college students meet the medical criteria for substance abuse or dependence. That’s about triple the proportion in the general population.
Young adults in general have higher abuse rates, so a higher rate for college students is to be expected. But other research indicates that college students drink more than high-school peers who don’t go to college, said Henry Wechsler of the Harvard School of Public Health, who published similar findings in 2002.
‘Acceptance of extreme drinking’
Both researchers involved in the report and outside experts say they have seen troubling changes in how students drink in recent years.
“The percentage of kids who drink and binge drink is essentially the same between 1993 and 2005, but the intensity of the drinking has dramatically changed,” Califano said. “There’s an intensity to the consumption we see here that we don’t see in the general population.”
At the University of Kentucky, longtime administrator Victor Hazard says he too has noticed a change, with more students drinking simply to get drunk.
“To the extent there is such a thing as a social drinker, it was more of a meet-and-greet type of environment in the earlier years when I was here,” said Hazard, Kentucky’s associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students.
Now, he said, students are “drinking to become intoxicated as fast as they possibly can.”
Carol Falkowski, director of research communications for the Hazelden Foundation, an addiction treatment and research group, said too many students are getting the message that excessive drinking is OK.
“It’s getting more intense,” she said. “Drinking games that were happening in private parties or houses or bonfires 10 years ago are now happening in public venues. That to me reflects a sort of larger acceptance of extreme drinking.”
College administrators often say they know campus substance abuse is a problem but say there is little they can do.
But the report’s authors say it’s a question of commitment.
“Things do work, it’s just having the will and time and money to implement them,” said Roger Vaughan, a Columbia biostatistician involved in the report. “People need to step up and realize this is not a rite of passage, this is not something we should tolerate. If it keeps going, we’re going to destroy our best and brightest.”
Binge drinking, pill abuse intensify at colleges
Report warns of dangers of ‘extreme’ substance abuse among students
Substance abuse on college campuses is nothing new, but it is taking a more extreme and dangerous form, with higher rates of frequent binge drinking and prescription drug abuse, and more negative consequences for students such as arrests and risky sexual behavior.
That’s the portrait painted by a new, comprehensive report tying together a range of recent research on college substance abuse, supplemented with some of its own new survey data.
The report by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, argues substance abuse isn’t an inevitable rite of passage for young adults. Rather, it argues a particular culture of excessive consumption has flourished on college campuses, and calls on educators to take bolder stands against students and alumni to combat it.
“If they make this a priority they can do something about it,” said Joseph Califano, chairman and president of the center, who among other steps called on colleges and the NCAA to stop allowing alcohol advertising during high-profile events like the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Alarming findings
The report, being released Thursday, relies largely on research that has already appeared in various forms, but assembles it to emphasize findings particular to college students.
Among the highlights:
• The proportion of students who drink (about 68 percent) and binge drink (40 percent) has changed little since 1993. But there have been substantial increases in the number of students who binge drink frequently (take five drinks at a time, three or more times in two weeks), who drink 10 or more times a month, and who get drunk three or more times in a month.
• Though still used by far fewer students than alcohol, hundreds of thousands more students are abusing prescription drugs including Ritalin, Adderall and OxyContin than during the early 1990s. The proportion of students using marijuana daily has more than doubled to about 4 percent.
• Analyzing outside survey data, the Center calculated 23 percent of college students meet the medical criteria for substance abuse or dependence. That’s about triple the proportion in the general population.
Young adults in general have higher abuse rates, so a higher rate for college students is to be expected. But other research indicates that college students drink more than high-school peers who don’t go to college, said Henry Wechsler of the Harvard School of Public Health, who published similar findings in 2002.
‘Acceptance of extreme drinking’
Both researchers involved in the report and outside experts say they have seen troubling changes in how students drink in recent years.
“The percentage of kids who drink and binge drink is essentially the same between 1993 and 2005, but the intensity of the drinking has dramatically changed,” Califano said. “There’s an intensity to the consumption we see here that we don’t see in the general population.”
At the University of Kentucky, longtime administrator Victor Hazard says he too has noticed a change, with more students drinking simply to get drunk.
“To the extent there is such a thing as a social drinker, it was more of a meet-and-greet type of environment in the earlier years when I was here,” said Hazard, Kentucky’s associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students.
Now, he said, students are “drinking to become intoxicated as fast as they possibly can.”
Carol Falkowski, director of research communications for the Hazelden Foundation, an addiction treatment and research group, said too many students are getting the message that excessive drinking is OK.
“It’s getting more intense,” she said. “Drinking games that were happening in private parties or houses or bonfires 10 years ago are now happening in public venues. That to me reflects a sort of larger acceptance of extreme drinking.”
College administrators often say they know campus substance abuse is a problem but say there is little they can do.
But the report’s authors say it’s a question of commitment.
“Things do work, it’s just having the will and time and money to implement them,” said Roger Vaughan, a Columbia biostatistician involved in the report. “People need to step up and realize this is not a rite of passage, this is not something we should tolerate. If it keeps going, we’re going to destroy our best and brightest.”
"Where there is sacrifice there is someone collecting the sacrificial offerings."-- Ayn Rand
"Some of my friends sit around every evening and they worry about the times ahead,
But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed..."-- Elvis Costello
"Some of my friends sit around every evening and they worry about the times ahead,
But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed..."-- Elvis Costello
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Parents start stressing before the kid is even born about whether or not he'll get into the "right" preschool. Kids don't get to be kids ... they don't get to go outside and run around like maniacs, play games with their friends where they make up the rules and resolve any conflicts themselves. No more pickup baseball games, all their time is spent in structured activities supervised by adults. By junior high they're stressing about their grades, worried that they won't get into the "right" college, or won't qualify for enough scholarship money to go to college at all. It's not enough anymore for the high achievers to ace a full course load of AP classes ... they also must have a job and at least 4 extracurriculars at all times so their college applications will be impressive enough.
Gee whiz, I wonder why these kids are stressed out :rolleyes:
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
let the kids learn this
chemical fuck all
When you're 13 and you feel your choices are stay wasted or be a street kid, well the bottle becomes a very good friend.
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
Given what I thought my only two options were I think I chose the right one.
p.s. Thanks for the offer of sympathy, but I don't need it. I came out the otherside relatively unscathed. Love my family, friends, life, hell I even like my job. I appreciate all the love and devotion that people had in dealing with and helping me and know the only way to pay them back is to do the same for others.
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
cross the river to the eastside
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
T3s? I do have a few of those. Oddly enough, I'm always afraid of mixing, but perhaps I'll give it a try, thank you!
cross the river to the eastside
How about an ativan? Percs? Dilaudid?
Darvocet?
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
The warm fuzzies. It is a nice, happy buzz while it lasts.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
you know, i haven't tried those but i'd loooove to!
cross the river to the eastside
cos let's face it... after a few bong rips, a few more doesn't get you any higher. it's got a built in restraint mechanism
i used to love valium... pop a pill or two with a joint and a few drinks... your worries will disappear for hours.
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
lol..don't belive everything you read
I do that every night. But as soul said, I could smoke an eighth but after 2 or 3 loads I can't get any higher.