Alcohol and College Students

College students spend approximately $42 million yearly on alcohol, more than it costs to operate campus libraries and fund all scholarships and fellowships nationwide. Although often viewed as a “social lubricant,” alcohol can quickly deteriorate social relations. Alcohol also has other consequences, including: increased risk of accidents, homicide, suicide, physical injury, sexual assault and psychological and behavioral problems. This is in addition to the legal, health and academic risks of abuse. These same risks hold true for alcohol or drug-impaired faculty and staff.

If you decide to drink, some of the following tips may help prevent problems:

• Remember, the legal drinking age is 21. Underage drinking puts you at risk for sanctions.
• Set your own alcohol limit and stick to it. Pace your drinking.
• Designate a nondrinker in your group. This person can watch out for potential problems, including excessive drinking.
• Don’t leave your group of friends, and don’t put yourself at risk by leaving with a new acquaintance.
• Monitor your drink at all times. Do not drink “punches” or other drinks that you did not see made. Discard your drink if it has been left unattended for any length of time.
• Consider your use patterns.

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