INTRODUCTION

1. INTRODUCTION • According to reports binge drinking is the number one public health concern on college campuses nationwide. • This behavior is related to lower grade point averages, academic problems, student attrition, and the leading cause of death among college students (Vohs, 2008). • It is estimated “about four in five of all college students drink, including nearly 60 percent of students age 18 to 20” (NIAAA, n.d.)

2. WHAT IS BINGE DRINKING? • According National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) “A “binge” is a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 gram-percent or above. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming 5 or more drinks (male), or 4 or more drinks (female), in about 2 hours” (NIAAA, 2007).

3. WHY DO STUDENTS BINGE DRINK? • Binge drinking does not stem from just one factor but several. This can include genetic and family predisposition, social and peer influences, college traditions, uncontrolled policy environments and the easy availability of alcohol in and around college campuses (College Alcohol Study, n.d.).

4. WHY IS THIS A GREAT CONERN? • Binge drinking is of great concern because it is tied to some of the most desired aspects of American college life. • Many factors contribute to the high prevalence of binge drinking among college students, making binge drinking a major health concern for colleges and universities nationwide.

5. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS • Community establishments near and around campus serve or sell alcohol, which depend on the college clientele for their financial success. • Accessibility of Alcohol in and around campuses • College students who reported that they were exposed to wet environments were more likely to engage in binge drinking than were their peers without similar exposures(Weitzman, 2007).

6. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS • PRICE OF BEER • Discount pricing of alcohol in bars and stores, and high densities of alcohol outlets in areas surrounding colleges are risk factors associated with college binge drinking. Alcohol consumption increases as establishments and alcohol outlets use various discounts and promotions to attract college students. • “College students are targeted with sales of large volumes of alcohol (such as 24- and 30-can cases of beer, kegs, and “party balls”), low sale prices, and frequent alcohol promotions at bars, liquor stores, and other retail outlets surrounding college campuses” (Meichum K., Wechsler, H., Greenberg, P., Hang, L., 2003)

7. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS CONT. • Daily drink specials and “happy hours” at local restaurants and bars, as well as reduced prices of beer in stores during sporting events and holidays. In a study that measured taking up binge drink in college; results showed, students who reported paying one dollar or less for a drink were considerably more likely to begin binge drinking than were students who reported paying more than a dollar per drink (Weitzman, 2007). • During one study it was found that “both heavy and light drinkers drank more than twice as much alcohol during simulated “happy hours” as they did during times without such promotions” (Meichum K., Wechsler, H., Greenberg, P., Hang, L., 2003). • Students will seek out the best drink specials and cheap alcohol that is most convenient and closest to them for the alcohol needs.

8. CONCLUSION • As it has been in the past and still is today, college drinking has become a culture, where these traditions have developed into beliefs and customs that are entrenched in every level of college students’ environments. Customs which have been handed down through generations of college drinkers and reinforce students’ expectations that alcohol is a necessary ingredient for social success. These traditions are embedded in all levels of students’ environments including college sports arenas, community, and carried over into alumni traditions. The risks and consequences of binge drinking on college students are monumental and must be addressed more thoroughly.

9. REFERENCES College Alcohol Study, (n.d.). Retrieved October 8, 2010, from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas/Home.html Meichum K., Wechsler, H., Greenberg, P., Hang, L., (2003). The Marketing of Alcohol to College Students: The Role of Low Prices and Special Promotions. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28(8), 204-211. Retrived from, http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas/Documents/marketingalcohol/AlcoholPromotion.pdf National Institutute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, (n.d.), Statistical Snapshot of College Drinking. Retrieved October, 28, 20101 from, http://www.niaaa.nih.gov National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, (2007). What Colleges Need to Know Now An Update on College Drinking Research. NIH Publication No. 07–5010 Retrieved October 28, 2010 from, http://www.niaaa.nih.gov Wechsler, H., Dowdall, G.W., Davenport, A., Castillo, S., (1995). Correlates of College Student Binge Drinking. American Journal of Public Health, 85(7), 921-926. Weitzman, E.R., Toben, N.F., Wechsler, H., (2007). Taking Up Binge Drinking in College: The Influences of Person, Social Group, and Environment. Journal of Adolescent Health, 32:26–35. Retrieved October 28, 2010 from, http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas/Documents/uptake/uptake1.pdf Vohs, C.J., Gable, R.K., Ward, C., Marte, R.L., Barresi, J., Slocumb, D., (2008). Anxiety and Depression as Comorbid Factors in Drinking Behaviors of Undergraduate College Students Attending an Urban Private University in the Northeastern United States. Paper presented at the Northeastern Educational Research Association Annual Conference. Retrieved from, http://digitalcommons.uconn.edu/nera_2008/28