The college years are enjoyable for all students who are deciding what they want to pursue as a profession. It is the first taste of true freedom for many teenagers and a true test of time management skills and direction. It is easy for a college student to be influenced by other students who may or may not be on a successful academic or professional path. Using alcohol is almost considered a rite of passage for the typical college student, but binge drinking can become a problem faster than the untrained drinker can realize.
1. What Is Binge Drinking
Rehabilitation professionals normally claim that anyone consuming over three drinks in an evening are binge drinkers. That threshold may not be reasonable to the average person. The average human can filter one ounce of alcohol per hour through their body, so it generally takes two drinks per hour to initiate intoxication. Even students who are drinking in this pattern are clearly at risk for developing long-term alcohol abuse problems. Serious binge drinking generally carries a component of drinking as a priority.
2. Avoiding Drinking Games
The popularity of drinking games has been a major contributor to collegiate binge drinking behavior. Alcohol consumption as a competitive sport is never a good idea. Novice drinkers do not have the tolerance that regular drinkers have built over time; therefore, it is just not a smart practice. Peer pressure can be a difficult situation to manage, but the best decision is always drink moderately or not at all if under the legal drinking age. This is especially true in public or strange locations because out-of-control situations happen quickly.
3. Educational Issues
Traditional college students are young and normally have the physical ability to recover quickly from a night of binge drinking. However, this can easily become a daily habit which would then affect focus, organizational skills, and priorities. Class attendance may plummet along with grades. The effects could possibly be academic probation, the loss of a scholarship, and ultimately a dismissal from school altogether.
4. Legal Issues
The most obvious legal danger for a drinking college student is possession of alcohol. All states require individuals to be twenty-one years of age to purchase or possess alcohol. Public intoxication is also an illegal possession charge, so fines can be increased and jail time may be the consequence especially if caught driving under the influence. This could cause a student to miss a number of days from classes. It will create a time consuming battle with their perspective state’s DMV which will hinder driving privileges and cause a number of days missed to attend to the matter. Also, if attending college in Virginia, the attorneys’ at the Wilson Law Firm, would suggest that the defendant should pre-enroll in the 20-hour program, Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP), to show initiative to the court. This, too, would take time from classes and studying.
5. Medical Issues
The short-term effects of drinking are blackouts, promiscuity, and possibly violence. The long-term effects this process can have on the body are numerous. It is particularly true of liquor. Long-term binge drinking can create medical problems with all organs and can eventually cause death from alcohol poisoning. It is proven that brain damage can occur from alcohol abuse. It can hinder the ability to learn and to hold on to knowledge. Additionally, the possibility of a serious accident of any kind is much greater when an individual is intoxicated. Many individuals have suffered a lifetime over accidents that occurred while they were intoxicated.
College is an exciting time for the students and one of concern for parents in hopes that they prepared their son/daughter for this day of autonomy with high hopes for higher learning, great memories, and the start of a successful life. The pressures to make adult decisions can lead a student to make the decision to drink alcohol. This could lead to binge drinking which almost always results in intoxication beyond legal limits. This gives way to situations that could rapidly escalate out of control. There are just too many dangers that can stem from this practice.
Kelly Dennie is a mother of a rising college freshman who is filled with excitement and concern. The attorneys’ at the Wilson Law Firm has a checklist for defendants arrested for DUI: document the situation to the best of their ability, consult with a lawyer, pre-enroll in VASAP, obtain a copy of their driving record, and gather commendations in preparation for their defense. This situation may seem frightening but, the first step in gaining control is to understand the charges, process, penalties, and to hire an experienced lawyer.
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