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Alcohol consumption within university

A broad and general term used to describe the triggers and negative effects of alcohol on those (most commonly students) attending higher education institutions such as university and college. These include: academic impairment; psychological and behavioural problems; physical health; criminal activity and unwanted sexual encounters, which all have a destructive relay effect on a student’s academic career.

Alcohol problems, in particular binge drinking, have a negative impact on university students on an international scale (Faulkner et al. 2006; Hallet et al. 2012; McGee & Kypri 2004: Reavley et al. 2011;). Research has been undertaken to investigate the triggers and the consequences of dangerous drinking patterns and to support the argument that alcohol has more of a detrimental outcome rather than positive effect. Such outcomes include poor health, criminal activity, psychological problems and unwanted sexual encounters which all have a relay effect onto a student’s academic career. One of the main problems with alcohol consumption within universities is binge drinking. Binge drinking can be defined as “The dangerous practice of consuming large quantities of alcoholic beverages in a single session. Binge drinking carries a serious risk of harm, including alcohol poisoning”      (Medicine.Net.com 2012). A report in 1994 shows out of a survey taken of 17592 students that 48% were binge drinkers (Weschsler et al. 1994), Campus traditions in Australia, United Kingdom and the United States such as “skulling” (which is colloquial or slang) where a person or persons consume an alcoholic beverage(s) (usually beer) in one go without taking a breath, which adds to the risk of harm or injury, as it accelerates the effect of intoxication. Faulkner et al 2006 state that the triggers of this type drinking behaviour are mainly social and conforming to peer pressure; and in some cases a part of university culture. The most recent Australian government guideline for healthy men and women is: drinking no more than two standard drinks on any day to reduce the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury (NHRMC 2009). Various surveys undertaken at higher education institutions around the world show that students are drinking alcohol at an alarming rate. For example in a survey of five New Zealand universities, 68% of students were reported to be drinking at a hazardous level (Kypri et al 2006). Kypri et al. 2006 also emphasize the need to “reduce the availability and promotion of alcohol on and around university campuses in New Zealand”. The research also suggests that intervention is needed from an early stage in the student’s careers. The earlier the drinking problem is addressed, the less likely of alcohol dependency later in life (McGee & Kypri 2004).

References

“Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol | National Health and Medical Research Council”, n.d. viewed 10 October 2012 

“Binge Drinking Definition - Medical Dictionary Definitions of Popular Medical Terms Easily Defined on MedTerms”, n.d. viewed on 10 October 2012

Faulkner, S., L. B. Hendry, L. Roderique, and R. Thomson. “A Preliminary Study of the Attitudes, Triggers and Consequences of Hazardous Drinking in University Students.” Health Education Journal 65, no. 2 (June 1, 2006): 159–169.

Hallett, Jonathan D, Peter M Howat, Bruce R Maycock, Alexandra McManus, Kypros Kypri, and Satvinder S Dhaliwal. “Undergraduate Student Drinking and Related Harms at an Australian University: Web-based Survey of a Large Random Sample.” BMC Public Health 12, no. 1 (2012): 37.

Kypri, Kypros, Mallie J. Paschall, John Langley, Joanne Baxter, Martine Cashell-Smith, and Beth Bourdeau. “Drinking and Alcohol-Related Harm Among New Zealand University Students: Findings From a National Web-Based Survey.” Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 33, no. 2 (2009): 307–314.

McGee, Rob, and Kypros Kypri. “Alcohol-related Problems Experienced by University Students in New Zealand.” Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 28, no. 4 (August 2004): 321–323.

NHMRC: Australian guidelines to reduce the health risks from drinking alcohol. Canberra: National Health and Medical Research Council; 2009

Reavley, Nicola J., Anthony F. Jorm, Terence V. McCann, and Dan I. Lubman. “Alcohol Consumption in Tertiary Education Students.” BMC Public Health 11, no. 1 (July 9, 2011): 545.Survey of a Large Random Sample.” B

Wechsler, Henry, Andrea Davenport, George Dowdall, Barbara Moeykens, and Sonia Castillo. “Health and Behavioral Consequences of Binge Drinking in CollegeA National Survey of Students at 140 Campuses.” JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association 272, no. 21 (December 7, 1994): 1672–1677.