Going into college you have a higher peer pressure risk of consuming alcohol, especially if you go to a college similar to Whitewater, where our school is known for partying and drinking. Although this may seem like a fun time in the moment, this could lead to concerns and problems. Many of us do not know the short term and long term risks of drinking alcohol. Consequences can lead to health problems, citations, and even death to you or someone else. Not only does it affect the person that drinks alcohol, it affects their families, and the community. People can seriously get hurt, or hurt someone else while under the influence of alcohol.

As mentioned before, consuming alcohol may be a good idea at the time, but it has no benefits in the long run. College students who continuously drink risk being assaulted, being sexually harassed, having academic problems, suffering from alcohol use disorder, driving under the influence, and other consequences. College students from the age of 18 to 24 suffer the most with alcohol consumption. Almost 2,000 college students between these ages die from alcohol related accidents such driving while under the influence. 97,000 experiences alcohol related sexual assault or date rape, and 1 out of 4 students report missing school or failing classes due to alcohol related activities each year. Students in college are more likely to binge drink, causing health problems later in life such as damaging livers and other organs.

The best way to address these problems and concerns for these students is by educating them on the consequences. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism article, College Drinking, some individual level interventions can help college towns such as Whitewater, “change students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to alcohol so that they drink less, take fewer risks, and experience fewer harmful consequences”. These interventions include programs of awareness, cognitive approaches, motivational approaches, and behavioral interventions by health professionals. These are all good approaches. Making students aware of the harm alcohol can cause on their bodies could potentially decrease the number of college students who consume large amounts of alcohol. This in turn could help students drink more responsibly if they are choosing to participate in this activity.

I want you to consider next time you are having a drink, how much alcohol you are consuming, do you have a safe way home, is this beneficial to your future?