AE response to Alcoholism :: essays research papers

This hebdomads selections of conditions from the AE reader were both interesting and thought provoking. The first article Drinking to get Drunk, details the growing anxiety of binge beverage on college campuses across the country. I thought it was very interesting that 23% of students are frequent binge drinkers whereby frequent binge drinking is operation wholey defined as those who consumed at least five drinks in a row at one point during any two week period. This is startling number when prizeing of my own drinking habits or even the social norms of drinking on this campus. I would be confident in claiming that at Providence College, the percentage of frequent binge drinkers is likely higher than the national percentage. With the social culture of this campus being focused on gatherings that include alcohol, it is hard to discharge oneself from a drinking climate. As a student leader on this campus, we are required to program so many alcohol free activities to go on a dry campus. These efforts go unnoticed and very often are unattended by students because of the competition of the off campus bar scene. Perhaps if the surrounding friendship (ie local bar establishments/package stores, law enforcement officials, attorney generals office) becomes more stringent in enforcing modest drinking regulations, it will become more difficult for underage students on this campus to drink. Or on the flipside, the result could be just as devastating with a shift in drinking off campus to on campus, cause more on campus disciplinary actions. This could be worth it however if it means that students will be drinking in their dorms and in a fairly pencil eraser environment unlike our neighboring community. Further examination on this campus is necessary and continues through student congress and Fr. McPhails office. Personally, I dont think the drinking climate will change until the allure of drinking and being drunk is discouraged and students develop a mature sens e of what is cool.The second article The Drug that Pretends it Isnt is also an article related to alcohol and the nasty consequences of drinking on our society. The article opens with the giggle of Jamaica, the trendy spring break wild spot that many college students flock to. A policy research group called Drug Strategies produced a report that calls alcohol Americas most distributive drug problem, which is sadly true. What shocked me was the claim that alcohol-related deaths outnumber deaths related to drugs four to one alcohol is a factor in more than half of all domestic-violence and sexual assault cases.