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College Binge Drinking Tags

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College Women and Binge Drinking

Most of us have seen those clips from “Girls Gone Wild” where nudity and debauchery is applauded—even encouraged; where booze flows like water from a tap. For many college students, this type of party-animal behavior is a way to let loose, whether it’s during Spring Break or at a party on a Saturday night. However, this raucous behavior also brings with it consequences that many college students are unaware of, especially for women. The percentage of female college students who binge drink—meaning they consume at least four drinks within a two-hour period—has been on a steady rise for the last 20 years.

Why do women drink heavily? Some women think that the more they drink, the more attractive they appear to their male peers—especially if they can keep up with their male counterparts. Interestingly, a recent survey by the American Psychology Association said that although 71 percent of college women feel more attractive when they drink, the majority of men said they found women less attractive the more they drink.

Alcohol consumption has also become glamorized by the media. Beer and hard-liquor commercials more often than not are geared to a college-aged audience. By using sex appeal as a way to introduce consumers to their products, young men and women are drawn in and will purchase a specific brand in an attempt to relive what they see on TV. This also holds true for TV shows. The series “Sex and the City” popularized the Cosmopolitan and made it a household drink for women of all ages. Alcohol also brings with it a misperceived air of sophistication for many young women. Having a few cocktails or a couple of glasses of wine with friends seems “cool” and “mature.”

Women also binge drink for the simple reason to get drunk. Reports show that the amount of women who “drink to get drunk” today is over three times higher than it was in 1977. Binge drinking lowers one’s inhibitions and people become more social and comfortable in a large party atmosphere, which is why women may feel compelled to drink in large quantities.

Heavy drinking among college women is a cause for concern for many reasons. Students who frequently imbibe have lower GPAs, miss class more often, and are more apt to fall behind on their studies than their non-drinking coeds. Physically, women tend to get drunk more quickly then men because women’s bodies have a higher ratio of fat to water, so alcohol is less diluted once it hits the bloodstream. This leads to impaired judgment and a loss of cognitive functions.

Because alcohol lowers inhibitions and impairs judgment, many people are more apt to engage in risky behaviors such as unprotected sex. More than 12 percent of college women have reported having unprotected sex while under the influence of alcohol. Another disturbing consequence of binge drinking is the high percentage of sexual assaults that take place while intoxicated; at least 50 percent of college student sexual assault cases are attributed to alcohol. Studies also show that alcohol negatively impacts and corrodes a woman’s body more quickly than a man’s. This can lead to the development of liver disease 10 to 15 years earlier then men, even if women consume less alcohol overall.

As the problem of binge drinking among women is escalating, colleges around the country are trying to find ways to cope with this epidemic. Many colleges are banning alcohol from public events and several sororities have become “dry.” Alcohol awareness programs are also prevalent at most universities. Even with these programs aimed at curbing alcohol abuse, college women need to be aware of how alcohol negatively affects their bodies. Drinking can be a part of college life, but doing so in a responsible manner is of the utmost importance.