College partying, often glamourized in popular culture, has become a prominent and inevitable part of college life. During this time, lifelong memories are formed, rites of passage are followed, and social exploration is encouraged. However, festivities often have a dark side: dangerous drinking and drug use. The allure of social acceptance, coupled with college life freedom, can lead students down a perilous path. Excessive alcohol consumption and experimentation with drugs are not only common but also culturally embedded in many collegiate environments.
Such behavior impacts far beyond the individual. A range of adverse outcomes are associated with it, including academic decline, mental health issues, physical injuries, and even death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights that excessive drinking among college students is associated with approximately 1,519 student deaths annually due to alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes. Furthermore, drug use, including the misuse of prescription medications and the consumption of illicit substances, exacerbates these risks, potentially leading to addiction and long-term health complications.
Infographic about college party, drink and drugs
- About 33% third of first-year students fail to re-enroll for their second year of college in the USA, 28,305,025 in total.
- There are about 97,000 students who are victims of sexual assault or date rape due to alcohol every year.
- The report says that 686.000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.
- According to a study conducted on over 1000 students, two-thirds of them purchase alcohol using fake identifications.
- A study found that 42% of college students used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes, 20% mixed prescription drugs and alcohol, and 39% used illicit drugs.
- It is estimated that 18% of college students have used club drugs, and nearly 14% of hookah users began using within the first month of enrollment.
- According to CASA Columbia, nearly one in six full-time college students suffer from a drug or alcohol use disorder.
- It has been discovered that college binge drinkers are three times more likely to use prescription drugs for non-medical reasons.
- College students drink less when commuting, attending traditionally black or women’s colleges or large schools, while drinking heavily as freshmen, athletes and Greek fraternities and sororities.
