West Virginia University has a number of resources that you can consult if you think you might have a drinking problem or have questions about alcohol and alcohol consumption. Well WVU is an excellent place to start looking for information on these topics.
Binge There, Done That
No matter whether you are a freshmen or a senior, you have probably been warned about the binge drinking that normally comes along with the college party scene. What you might not be so clear on, however, is what exactly binge drinking is. Although there really is no standard "definition" of binge drinking, the following are a few things to consider in order to stay away from the dangerous activity.
Binge drinking occurs when large amounts of alcohol are consumed in short periods of time.
If not switched out with non-alcoholic beverages, 5 drinks for males and 4 drinks for females in a row is typically considered a binge.
Binge drinking usually occurs in large groups of people with the intention of becoming intoxicated.
Binge drinkers do not drink every day; typically they drink 1 or 2 times per week, and are not "addicted" to drinking.
One of the biggest binge drinking demographics is college students or college-aged individuals.
Binge drinking is the 2nd leading cause of dementia and is associated with 20-30% of all road accidents.
To avoid binge drinking, you can:
Alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks (such as water).
Sip your drinks rather than gulping them.
Put your drink on a table rather than holding it the whole time.
Limit the amount of cash you carry to spend on drinks and leave your bank card at home.
Just for Kicks
The picture below is of a T-shirt that WVU handed out for free to students prior to spring break. The shirt was distributed in hopes of reminding students of the importance of drinking and partying responsibly.
Why Should We Be Concerned With Drugs and Alcohol On Campus?
Drugs and Alcohol are harmful to you and everyone around you. You are not in the right state of mind when these foreign substances are floating around in your blood stream. You are doing internal damage to yourself and in the worst case you could seriously harm yourself or others by making a poor judgment (For example, DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE).
The Following Statistics can be found at http://www.collegeparents.org/
1,400 college students between ages of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol related injuries
500,000 students between ages of 18 and 24 were injuried
600,000 students between ages of 18 and 24 were assaulted by another student under the influence of alcohol
25% of college students reported failed academics such as missing class, falling behind, and overall poorer grades
What is Aloholism? By the College Health Guru
