Alcohol abuse on college campuses has reached a point where it is far more destructive than most people realize today and today threatens too many of our young. -Senator Joe LiebermanWhy do college students drink so much? This timeless fashion has influenced this generation in high percentages since the beginning of their college education. Today in America it is estimated that approximately 29% of college students are regular consumers of alcohol. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Another recent study conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism showed that college students suffered 1,400 deaths, 70,000 rapes and assaults, and 500,000 injuries each year due to alcohol. (McDonald) While binge eating (more than 5 drinks in a single sitting) is considered a normal part of the college experience, many factors contribute to whether or not an individual is more prone to abuse. Every day, people are injured or killed because of alcohol. accidents. These incidents also have a direct effect on family and friends. As one of the few legally controlled substances in the United States, alcohol is easily accessible to minors and is an important part of teenage party culture. Because alcohol abuse often begins among adolescents and young adults, most research focuses on them. Through these studies we learn what drives adolescents to drink and the consequences of their actions. Researchers at the University of Alabama were able to show several reasons that incentivize adolescents to consume alcohol. Using a written survey, it was determined that the high school students studied used alcohol to cope with problems in their lives, including task orientation, emotion orientation, and avoidance coping (Windle). The only major differences in outcomes between the sexes became apparent when Windle showed that girls were more likely to use alcohol to avoid and cope with emotions than boys. Boys, however, are more likely to have alcohol-related problems and addictions (Windle). . Another finding during the research process was that adolescents drank less often for social reasons than for the aforementioned coping reasons (Windle). A surprising finding of this study was that students drank more frequently due to positive daily events than negative ones (Windle). This suggests that while young people actually drink because they are unhappy, they are more likely to drink because something has happened to them recently. It is also believed that alcoholism is passed down genetically from parents to children. By comparing males with a family history of alcoholism to males with a history without alcoholism, it is possible to determine a relationship between genetics and alcoholism and alcoholic children. While the amount of drinking of children of alcoholics (COAs) and non-COAs was similar, COAs were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed alcoholics as non-COAs (Chavez). This test, which was administered by Nelba Chavez, of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), shows that you can drink as much as an alcoholic, but not actually be an alcoholic. This can contribute to a lack of social understanding. of alcoholism. The idea that an alcoholic is someone who habitually abuses the use of alcohol is partially incorrect. The definition of an alcoholic is someone who is genetically predisposed to alcoholism or addiction (Chavez). Anotherapproach to research on alcoholism was exercised by Sher, Hurlbut, Brazeal and Wood. In their studies they showed the differences between the alcohol-related expectations of COAs and non-COAs over a four-year period. What they found was that COAs drank much more frequently to reduce tension, become more sociable, make activities more interesting and perform better than non-COAs (Sher et.al.) At the same time there was a overall decrease in alcohol consumption for these reasons from the time the study began until its completion four years later (Sher et. al.). This research shows important information about the reasons for alcohol consumption and may provide better treatment for alcohol COA than is currently provided. From this it can be deduced that parental alcoholism is not the only cause of the increase in alcohol abuse among adolescents. The additional aspects of life that come with having an alcoholic parent are the other reasons why teenagers drink. These aspects may include spending less time with a child and outward expressions of alcoholism such as violence or depression, which may cause a child to deal as little as possible with the alcoholic parent. Alcohol is a big problem on most college campuses. Twenty-one may be the legal drinking age, but somehow college minors find a way to get alcohol. College students have a tendency to drink more than the general population. A test conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) shows that college students spend about $4.2 billion a year on alcohol. This money is spent on 430 liters of alcoholic beverages and 4 million cans of beer (Shalala). The type of college, geographic location, and ethnic and gender composition play a role in the amount of alcohol use that occurs on campus (Shalala). For example, colleges with fraternities and sororities have higher statistics, this is due to sponsored parties. They drink more often, which contributes to heavier drinking. College students drink more when they are in groups (Shalala). When it comes to drinking on campus there is no legal age, so to speak. When someone goes to a party they don't get a card, they get a cup. Students aged between 18 and 21 also drink more than those aged over 21 (Shalala). 41% of college students report binge drinking, and nearly 4% drink daily (Shalala). Binge drinking is defined as four drinks for women in one sitting and five drinks for a man in one sitting. Students who drink excessively have even more problems than students who don't. Binge drinkers are more likely to have hangovers and engage in unplanned sexual activity. In another recent NIAAA study, 56,000 college students reported a decline in their grades. As students have gone from A's to D's and F's, their grades have dropped, which will affect their future career plans and any scholarships they will receive. A report from the University of Richmond tells the story of a college freshman who experienced a horrific situation after a night of drinking. She said she remembers how hard it was to leave her family and friends behind, she remembers having to deal with the fact that she was a freshman again and that all she wanted was to be well-liked and fit in but one thing she doesn't remember at all is the night in which she was raped by two freshmen in a room full of people. During the second week of school he willingly attended a party where he drank many shots of vodka.