College Students and Addiction

College Students

Drug abuse and excessive drinking are common problems among college students.

College Students and Drug Abuse

One of the largest groups of substance abusers in the United States consists of college students and young adults between the ages of 18 – 24 are already have a higher risk of developing addiction. Full-time college students are over twice as likely to abuse alcohol and drugs than young adults who don’t attend college. Beginning college causes anxiety for a lot of students. Alcohol relieves a lot of this anxiety and makes it easier to socialize. Often, college students don’t just automatically start drinking in excess. This tends to be a process over time that can eventually lead to addiction.

Reasons College Students Use Alcohol and Drugs:

• Stress can be a major factor in the drug and alcohol abuse among college students. Drugs and alcohol can help relieve the burdens associated with coursework, internships, social pressure and work
• Another common reason for using uppers such as methamphetamines, including Adderall, is to assist college students with staying awake and such drugs help students study for longer periods of time
• Curiosity combined with peer pressure and fitting can also lead to drug and alcohol abuse

Common Drugs of Choice Among College Students

Various drug trends surface over time. There always seems to be something new to try, but there are certain drugs that do not lose their popularity. Drugs that are consistently used and tend to be the “drugs of choice” among college students include marijuana, alcohol, stimulants, and MDMA (Molly or ecstasy).

Impact of Alcohol on College Students

While the most popular and socially acceptable drug of choice, alcohol is also the most dangerous. Binge drinking and college life almost always seem to go together. Alcohol is present at sporting events, parties, and other social gatherings. Because alcohol is legal and socially acceptable, college students specifically tend to drink more often and more excessively than young adults in the same age range that do not attend college. According to findings by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, four in five college students consume alcohol. Half of these students admit to binge drinking. Binge drinking can lead to fatalities, hospitalizations, alcohol poisoning, assault, injury, and auto and other accidents. Many students who binge drink have black-outs. Learn more about the effects of alcohol on college students and the dangers of binge drinking.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Sororities and Fraternities

Also referred to “Greek life,” fraternities and sororities provide a sense of belonging and networking for students. However, alcohol and drug abuse within these organizations are more common than for the average student not associated with the Greek life. Students who are part of the Greek system have a 26% more prone to excessive drinking. This is due to not only the fact that more parties are thrown in these organizations, but hazing is also a common practice among the Greek life and hazing often involves enticing pledges (those trying to get initiated into a fraternity or sorority) to binge drink to be accepted. According to the United States Department of Education’s Higher Education Center, fraternity and sorority members are also more inclined to abuse prescription drugs like Adderall.

Eating Disorders and Abuse of Diet Pills Among College Students

The National Institute of Mental Health reported that 25% of college students are battling an eating disorder. This number is increasing over time. Another study revealed that the epidemic among both male and female college students has increased over the past two decades significantly. Abusing diet pills to aid in weight loss is a common practice among college students. Misuse of diet pills can cause health problems and in some cases, can be fatal. Learn more about diet pill drug abuse and eating disorders among college students.

Get Help for Alcohol or Drug Addiction

Addiction can feel like a very lonely affliction. However, if you are struggling with alcoholism, addiction or an eating disorder, you are not alone and there is help available. Our addiction professionals can assist you with finding the help you need. Take the first step and call today to get on the road to recovery.