When people think of alcoholism, they usually tend to think of it as a problem for older adults. However, college alcoholism is actually quite common. This form of addiction comes with it’s own unique consequences which you might not realize at first glance. Knowing what these risks are can help you or a friend realize if your drinking might be going to far…
College Alcoholism: Knowing The Risks
Poor grades
One of the most apparent areas that college alcoholism impacts is a student’s grades. The effects of alcohol will make it difficult for a student to do their school work well. Eventually, alcohol might become the priority over their grades. When that happens, a student might end up choosing drinking over going to class and doing assignments.
Sometimes, all it takes is a few points for a student to either pass or fail a glass. Alcohol can get in the way of making sure a student gets the grade they need to pass. Plus, not only will they not get the credit, it’ll also end up costing them quite a lot in terms of tuition and delaying their graduation.
Poor decision making
One of the side-effects of alcohol is how it lowers a person’s inhibitions. People tend to make riskier choices or actions while under the influences. Of course, this is true when someone drinks in college. However, college alcoholism can be a perfect storm of poor decision making.
As most college drinking takes place at events like parties, people will tend to drink more and act more recklessly. This can include doing things like driving drunk, vandalism, or fighting. Even doing risky dares or challenges from peers can result in pretty bad injuries. Not only can these be costly, but something like a DUI can really impact your future when you’re in college.
Health issues
Another consequence of college alcoholism are the health effects. Binge drinking is pretty common in college, increasing the risk of things like alcohol poisoningoccurring. Furthermore, this kind of drinking also increases the chances of developing more permanent health problems down the line. It’s not uncommon to see heavy college drinkers develop liver or heart problems as a result of their excessive drinking.
