What I've Learned

I have covered a wide range of topics all under the main subject of binge drinking, such as drinking and driving, alcohol poisoning, and drinking songs.  Each blog has had some significance to college students and anyone who fits the binge drinking description.  I have learned many things while writing these blogs and I feel that they apply to anyone, including myself.  Since this is my last blog, I would like to share what they have meant to me and how it has changed or affected my own life.

(www.dreamstime.com)

I am like any other college student who likes to hang out with friends and have a good time on the weekends.  I also fit right into the description of a binge drinker.  When I realized this fact I began to wonder if binge drinking affects me and my personal life.  Over the past five weeks I have discovered facts and studies that have made me stop and think about drinking.  I started to analyze my behaviors and consumption when went out drinking with my friends because I realized that anything can happen when a person consumes an excess amount of alcohol.  I have never had alcohol poisoning or suffered an injury from drinking, but these things are very likely and there are statistics to prove it.  I also found out along my blogging journey that drinking can potentially cause long term memory loss and this was another eye opener. 

I do not want drinking to affect my future and who I will become.  This writing experience has made me realize that I am not invincible and anything can happen to me when I more than I can handle.  I have now become more responsible when I go out drinking.  I think about how I am getting home and what my drinking limit is.  This has made a world of difference in how my night and the next morning go.  I encourage you to follow a similar plan and see the difference for yourself.  

Drinking Around the World

(www.goldposters.com)

25% of deaths are alcohol-related according to a new study from a British medical journal called the Lancet.  Alcohol is now becoming as harmful to the globe as tobacco was ten years ago.  This increase in alcohol-related damage is not narrowed to one or two continents, but all of them.  Each country has risen between 5 and 40% and it does not seem to be declining any time soon.  The reason for this rapid increase has been studied for some time and researchers have come to the conclusion that it is due to more women drinking alcohol.  It has also been discovered that the wealthier a country is, the more alcohol its citizens consume.  Thus, more people drinking results in more alcohol-related accidents, strokes, cancer, and of course death.

So, how much does an average person in the world drink in the course of a year?  It has been estimated that a person drinks 1.6 gallons in a year.  If you concentrate this statistic on North America alone the amount increases to 2.5 gallons a year, which is 18 drinks a week.  This obviously does not apply to every person, but may concern many college students and binge drinkers.  They may not realize how many drinks they consume in a week, especially not in a year.  If I calculated the amount of alcohol I drank in a year it would be make me think twice about my consumption.

 It is clear that people around the world are drinking more and causing the rise of deaths due to alcohol, so what can be done to reduce this?  The study goes on to discuss possible ways and how countries are taking action.  In countries such as France and Italy, alcohol prices have risen and alcohol consumption has declined by 25% resulting in less deaths.  It is a difficult task to reduce deaths as a whole, but if more countries consider their options then maybe a decline is on the way.

Shots, shots, shots, shots, shots!!

Country and rap songs are known for their songs with the popular subject of alcohol.  They encourage listeners to get “wasted” like Gucci Mane or find “friends in low places” like Garth Brooks.  Drinking and getting drunk is an easy subject to sing about for many of the artists in these genres.  Their lyrics and tunes are clever which make them even more appealing.  Country and rap are both very popular among the younger crowd, especially college students.  Their songs are frequently played at parties and college bars all over the U.S.  Are these songs about alcohol and drinking effecting how much college students drink and encouraging binge drinking?

(www.cruzcordero.wordpress.com)

I believe that music influences those who listen in both positive and negative ways.  Some songs are about hope and peace that lift people up.  Other songs are entertaining and fun to dance to.  Any song that has lyrics about drinking alcohol and/or getting drunk have now been termed “drinking songs” by our society.  This is the music is played while a group of people drink and some songs even encourage them to get drunk faster, such as “Shots” by LMFAO.  This song repeats the word shots 62 times, according to lyrics found online.  Many people who take shots during this song try to take as many as they can during the chorus and this can result in multiple shots in only a few times.  This can be very dangerous, especially if the person continues to consume alcohol. 

There are many other songs like “Shots” that are used in drinking games and are for the purpose of getting as drunk as you can.  Although this music catchy and fun to listen to, it can lead to serious consequences when drinkers are not being responsible.  It is important to remember that drinking songs are not entirely bad, as long as the drinking does not get out of hand while listening to them.

New Kids in College

Transitioning into college can be exciting, but scary for teens becoming freshmen.  The first few weeks are a combination of anxiety, frustration, uncertainty, and anticipation.  I remember these feelings when I was a freshman.  I was fun meeting new people, but the classes were different than high school and everything was new to me.  I made a lot of new friends, most of the freshmen like me.  I had never been to a college party before and when I was invited to one I was nervous to go.  I had not been taught from my parents or some high school what happens or could happen at a party.  College drinking is a serious subject and I think that freshmen in college should be informed about such subjects like binge drinking, alcohol poisoning, and memory loss. 

(www.paulorfalea.com)

It would be beneficial to students if college drinking was discussed during a class or informational session.  My college has a class designated to freshmen in their first semester of college and it is called freshmen seminar.  This class teaches students about college classes, professors, majors, and schedules.  I think that it should include college life and give information about college living, drinking, and social life.  These topics are important for teens to know about and be aware of certain dangers.  Those who are not informed could end up in dangers of their own. 

There are so many things that could go wrong when a teenager drinks alcohol and is not responsible.  Many of those freshmen do not realize the possibilities like injury, car accident, or even death.  If all of the freshmen at a university were taught about such imperative subjects, then I truly believe that hospital visits, police arrests, and death rates would significantly decrease.  Just image what could happen if every college and university adopted a curriculum with these topics integrated into it. 

DDUI = Don't Drive Under the Influence

DUI, MIP, DWI, OWI . . . There are so many abbreviations for the charges that are involved in alcohol consumption.  Some deal with drinking and driving, others are for minors.  No matter which one you look at, they are all serious offenses that should not be taken lightly.  College students take so many risks because they don’t realize how easy it can be to receive a charge from the police, especially in a college town.  Police give out DUI’s and MIP’s all the time to students who make bad decisions.  Approximately 57 out of every 100,000 people are arrested each year in the state of Missouri, according to drinkinganddriving.org.  Many of those arrested are college students because they are new to drinking or think they won’t get caught.

(www.rr9.blogspot.com)

As a college student I have seen many of my friends charged with driving under the influence or minor in possession.  I will admit that I have taken certain risks in the past, but was luckily never caught by the police.  It was immature of me to be so careless and irresponsible.  Now that I am 21 I no longer have to worry about getting charged with drinking as a minor, but there are still plenty of other consequences. 

I have to make a conscience effort to be responsible and find a ride home after drinking.  It can be difficult to find a friend who is available and sober.  Many of them may be drinking with you, but there is always someone who is willing to help and give rides to those who need it.  At my college and many others there are school sponsored buses or vans that pick up students who call for rides.  This is a very useful program that all students should take advantage of it.  Even if this is not offered at your school, you should always have a designated driver and arrive home safely.  DUI’s are nothing to be proud of.

College Student + Binge Drinking = Memory Loss

(www.campusstuffuneed.com)

What happened last night?  This is a common question college students have after waking up from a night of binge drinking.  Can this memory loss continue long after the night of drinking occurs?  A recent study was conducted in Spain, according to USA Today, tested students who were binge drinkers and non drinking college students to see if they were able to remember images and words.  Those who drank scored roughly the same on the images as the non drinkers, but significantly lower on the word test.  What do these findings mean for students? 

The research did not necessarily prove that binge drinking results in memory loss, but it did determine that the two are linked.  Further studies will be conducted to examine this link and resolve the questions provoked by the study.  This still raises a few anxieties among college students who like to drink, but do not want compromise their ability to study.  I am one of the students who want to succeed in college and get A’s in every class I take.  I want to do my best and I don’t want my fun weekends of drinking to get in the way. 

The article from USA Today also discussed the fact that the brain is still maturing during young adulthood and this is why the drinking affects memory loss so greatly.  College students are the most vulnerable to memory loss if they continue to binge drink due to the effect that alcohol has on the brain, and alcohol's ability to do damage when the brain is not fully developed. 

These findings make me think more about how binge drinking can affect my future.  If it truly does create long term memory loss, then I may not do as well in my classes or remember important information needed to pass crucial exams.  These possibilities are not worth the risk, and so cutting back on alcohol consumption is definitely looking more appealing.  

Am I An Alcoholic?

What does an alcoholic look like?  I picture an old man who sits around, has a whiskey and coke in his hands at all times, and yells at his wife constantly.  The reality is that alcoholism is not designated to any age group, but can affect anyone.  Another reality to consider is that it is a disease.  Doctors can diagnose and subscribe medication for alcoholics.  It is also not directly passed from one generation to another. 

So, how do you know if you are an alcoholic?  Some causes of alcoholism are heavy drinking, alcohol tolerance, dependence, drinking alone, and depression.  Anyone who has five or more drinks per occasion once a week is considered an alcoholic. They often experience withdraws when they don’t drink like nausea, sweating, and shaking which constitutes dependence.  There are many other symptoms that can help identify an alcoholic.  They tend to drink for the sole purpose of getting drunk or to relieve emotional stress.  They can also become irritated when they run out of alcohol or when it’s last call at a bar.  Alcoholics have problems at home do to their excessive drinking.

From this information it seems that a lot of people are alcoholics because they experience a few of these symptoms.  There are times when I have a couple of the symptoms, like drinking to get drunk or relieve stress, drinking alone, or drinking often.  I think that most college students do these things as well.  We may drink three or four times a week and have at least five drinks a night. 

Does this mean that we are all a bunch of alcoholics?  Just because we drink often does not mean that we are alcoholics.  Alcoholism is a serious condition and a doctor uses a number of factors to determine if a person is truly an alcoholic.  So, you should not worry unless you experience many of these symptoms and feel that you are at risk for becoming an alcoholic.  It is always advisable to be aware of your amount and frequency of drinking.

18 vs. 21

I just turned 21 a few months ago and I will admit that it was not my first time drinking, but I was more than excited for that day.  Being able to legally drink is a big relief and opens so many doors for fun like getting in at bars, clubs, drinking at concerts and sports games, and of course Vegas.  Las Vegas is all about the party scene and if you aren’t 21 yet, then you won’t have much fun in Sin City.  I went to Vegas for my 21^st birthday because that is the place to be to have an amazing time in a city that is a 24/7 celebration, and it was well worth the 21 year wait.

Now that I’m 21 I’ve started to realize why this age is the legal drinking age.  Before I turned 21 I thought it was ridiculous that the drinking age wasn’t 18.  The US is one of the few countries with the drinking age of 21.  I thought, why can’t we be 18 and drink when every country in Europe can?  A lot of those countries have an even lower drinking age or none at all. 

(lawblog,legalmatch.com)

There are always going to be pros and cons to every argument and the legal age to drink in the United States is no exception.  There are some people who argue that 18 year olds are illegally drinking already and since they can’t drink in public where it is safer then they are forced to drink at college parties where it can be very dangerous.  Those in favor of changing the age to 18 also argue that teens are appealed to drinking because it is against the law and rebellious to do.  If the drinking age were lower, then teens would be less likely to drink irresponsibly and be safer.  The other side of the coin is to leave the drinking age at 21 because 18 year olds are immature and cannot handle the responsibility of drinking.  Research also suggests that there are less car crashes due to drunk driving when the legal age is 21, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. 

No matter what the argument, though, legislature will not budge any time soon on this country’s drinking age.  They want the support of voters and don’t want uproar when they support teen drinking.  Teenagers are going to drink no matter what the legal age and they will have to continue waiting until they are 21, so they can enjoy the exciting experiences that being legal has to offer, like going to Vegas.

Cheers!

Every person has their own reasons as to why they like to drink.  Sometimes they want to escape their haphazard life, sometimes they want to let loose and get out of their shell, or sometimes they just want to hang out with friends and socialize.  The majority of drinkers want to socialize with their friends and enjoy alcohol responsibly.  Why is drinking such a major part of the social scene?  What is the appeal?  Social drinking has been around since drinking began and was the main reason to drink alcohol.  It was an innocent way to celebrate a grand event, such as a wedding, birth, or festival.  This still applies today, but social drinking has been taken to more extreme levels.

(www.reason.com)

Social drinking is defined as casual drinking in a social setting without the intent to get drunk, according to Wikipedia.  Notice that it says that there is no intention of getting drunk during social drinking.  College students do not realize what the real definition of social drinking is.  They think that drinking and getting drunk go hand in hand.  When a person drinks socially the right way they can avoid the consequences of unintentionally getting drunk.  Social drinking can be fun and harmless when those involved do not go overboard with alcohol consumption.  People who drink socially know how many drinks they can handle and remember to stop at the right time.  They are responsible and get a ride home from a sober driver, even if they have only had two drinks.  Social drinking goes beyond its intentions when those involved don’t know when to stop and drink over their limit.  They tend to drive home intoxicated and wind up with a DUI or worse. 

It’s not a crime if you are legally drinking with a group of friends.  Social drinking is fun and the bar or restaurant atmosphere makes it more exciting.  The drinks alone are significant in bringing the group together and uniting them.  Everyone grabs their glass, makes a toast, says cheers, and clinks glasses.  They might celebrate a special occasion or maybe just their friendship.  This tradition is meant to be enjoyed properly, so drink responsibly and cheers to social drinking.

Lights, Camera, Drink!

Old School, The Hangover, American Pie, Beerfest, Animal House. . . These were all listed in the top ten binge drinking movies of all time.  Which one do you think received the number one spot?  It’s no surprise that The Hangover is the number one binge drinking movie, according to the daily top 10 website.  It’s very popular and many people that have seen it love it.  Just a week ago the second installment of this film was released at the box office.  Entertainment Tonight said it was number one for the weekend and it brought in about $137.4 million. 

(tvtuc.com)

The Hangover and the others mentioned have all become popular among the younger crowd.  Why is this?  Because it shows binge drinking as fun, exciting, entertaining, and reasonably harmless.  All of these movies, except The Hangover, target teens and young adults directly.  They all show high school and college age students drinking at parties and having the time of their life.  It shows freedom and rebellion without little or no consequences.  There is always a happy ending and the geeky boy gets the hottest girl.  It’s the perfect way to show binge drinking and a good light and make students think that they will have the same exhilarating experience. 

Reality is never like the movies.  As much as we want happy endings, the movies fabricate what really occurs during nights of binge drinking.  If The Hangover really happened, one of the characters would have most likely died from alcohol poisoning or the drugs unintentionally taken.  Movie makers would never put death in an over the top comedy such as this.  They want viewers to be happy and laugh at every scene, not shocked and upset.  Portraying drinking as a good and positive thing gives teens and young adults the wrong impression.  They don’t realize until something bad happens that binge drinking is dangerous.  These comedic movies, although entertaining, are teaching the wrong ideas about drinking to all ages, but especially young people.

Red Bull and Vodka

In a previous blog I used the example of drinking Red Bull and Vodka to show the short term effects of drinking.  Red Bull and Vodka is a very popular drink choice nowadays among many others such as Monster and Jagermeister.   The combination of an energy drink and alcohol is appealing because it allows you to remain awake and alert instead of drowsy, which is a side effect of alcohol.  What people don’t realize is that mixing an energy drink with alcohol can be dangerous in many ways.

The reason itself for mixing energy drinks and alcohol is said to be unsafe.  According to the College Alcohol Abuse Prevention Center, fatigue is the body’s way of saying it has had enough.  The energy drink pushes your body to its limits by masking the fatigue, but it is still present.  The alcohol will still have the same effects even though the energy drink makes you feel better or less impaired.  The energy drink itself has certain effects on your body like increased heart rate and blood pressure which causes heart palpitations.  When alcohol is added to this these effects increase further which causes more heart problems. 

A new drink has been on the rise which mixes alcohol and energy into one can.  There are multiple companies who make such a combination, but the most well known and criticized is the company responsible for Four Loko.  This drink contains the alcohol equivalent to five beers or 12% alcohol by volume.  There has been a major debate on whether this product is safe enough to keep on the market and many families have sued the company Phusion Projects claiming that Four Loko lead to the death of their child. 

No matter what form it comes in, the combination of an energy drink and alcohol has been shown to greatly affect the body more than drinking the ingredients individually.  These drinks should be handled with caution and not consumed too often. 

Think Before You Drink

Binge drinking is the main cause of alcohol poisoning according to the Mayo Clinic.  The majority of binge drinkers are below the age of 26.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that approximately 50,000 cases of alcohol poisoning are reported each year.  22,073 of these resulted in death. 

These are pretty frightening statistics and most college students don’t realize how risky binge drinking can be.  Alcohol poisoning is a very serious side effect of drinking and the results can be fatal.  There are still those that are sent to the hospital for alcohol poisoning and survive, but they are the lucky ones.  They most likely had a friend who knew something was wrong and immediately took action, but some students that suffer from alcohol poisoning are not so fortunate.  Their friends might not realize that they are suffering from the signs of alcohol poisoning and assume they are fine.  They may not even have friends around them at the time.  Whatever the case may be, anyone who is going to drink should have a plan for their night and make sure that they are never alone.  Safe drinking is better than death by drinking.

Before you leave to out with your friends discuss who the designated driver will be and what they should do to prevent binge drinking.  Each person should know their own limit, but the DD should also be aware of the signs that someone is beginning to drink too much.  The designated driver should also know the signs of alcohol poisoning in case of an emergency.

What are the signs of alcohol poisoning? 

(generalcuestar.com)

·         Mental confusion, stupor, coma, or person cannot be roused.

·         Vomiting.

·         Seizures.

·         Slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute).

·         Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths).

·         Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness.

(collegedrinkingprevention.gov)

If you see someone with these symptoms seek help immediately.  Call 911 if there is any suspicion of alcohol poisoning.  Do not wait for all of these signs to occur.  Remember that it is better to be safe and call for help then to be sorry.

If those who are drinking are responsible and get help from friends who are sober, then alcohol poisoning can easily be prevented.  Drinking can be fun and harmless as long as it is in moderation and everyone is safe.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame... To Drink!

Why is it that sporting events are popular places to get drunk?  Is it the social aspect of being with friends?  Is it the competitive spirit?  Is it the rowdiness that surrounds the game?  Whatever it may be it is definitely seen at every game across America.  There are always those fans that get belligerent and have to be dragged out of the stadium or cut off at the concession stands, but there are also fans that aren’t so extreme and drink because of the atmosphere. 

(www.seejessicago.com)

I went with some friends to a Royals game over the weekend and since I am 21 I drank before and during the game.  Before the baseball game there were a lot of people tailgating and drinking in the parking lot.  As we walked through, we saw many college students that were getting wasted before going into the stadium; some of them didn’t even make it into the game because they were so drunk.  What is the point of being there if you aren’t going to go in and enjoy the game?  These people go overboard and take binge drinking to another level.  They may have never intended on going to watch the game at all, but just wanted to drink with their friends.  Tailgating is definitely fun and a great part of the sporting event experience.  The purpose of it is to eat and have a good time before going to the game, not to get hammered and pass out in the parking lot. 

I enjoy tailgating, but my favorite part of going to any sporting event is the game itself.  I like to drink a beer and eat hot dogs while I watch my favorite team play.  I don’t care about getting drunk during the game because I want to enjoy it and know what’s going on.  The atmosphere at games is very fun and some people do get caught up in moment.  There are still those who drink too much, and drink all day for before a game.  The bottom line is: no matter how much a person drinks at a sporting event, they are partaking in the atmosphere of the game and joining in on the drinking festivities. 

Numbing Reality

You go to a bar with your friends and order a Red Bull and vodka.  After that drink you loosen up a little, but you feel about the same.  You order another drink and once it’s gone you start to feel even looser, maybe you start to feel happier and more confident.  Another Red Bull and vodka slides down your throat and now you feel more euphoria, more talkative, have a shorter attention span, and your face feels flushed.  At this point you’ve had four drinks in two hours and are pretty drunk.  If you continue drinking more these short term effects continue to worsen and you start to have blurred vision, bad coordination, and memory loss. 

This is the typical scenario for many college students during a night of binge drinking.  They wake up the next morning with a major headache and can’t remember most of the night, depending on the amount of consumption.  We know how the short term effects and the hangovers feel, and yet we still go out the next night and do it all over again.  Why?  Because they only affect us for a day and then it’s gone.   If these effects lasted much longer, say a week, I bet many of us would rethink how often we drink or the amount we consume.  Since these things are so minor we don’t give them a second thought about whether or not we want to do it again.  The experiences we have while we are getting drunk are what we care about, not how many drinks we have or what beverage we choose.  Most people get drunk for emotional reasons like to be happier, to be stress free, or to find affection.  Sometimes they want to forget the things happening in the real world, forget their sorrows and pain.  Whatever the reason may be, it’s not necessary to get drunk to feel better.  There are other ways to feel better that are better for your well-being such as going to a movie with friends or working out at the gym.  You’ll still forget the pain and more often than not it will help you to cope with bad situations better.  I know I’ve learned that getting drunk doesn’t solve any problems and usually makes things worse.  It’s also more likely for you to drink more because you want to get drunk as fast as you can, which leads to worse consequences.  I no longer get drunk when I’m upset about something.  It’s not worth the after math and doesn’t fix anything.  What do you think?

Binge Drinking 101

            Being a college student, I know the effects and consequences of alcohol and have experienced them firsthand.  College is known for the crazy parties and wild things that happen at them.  And it’s obvious that behind any good party is alcohol.  Alcohol transforms us into a new person; we’re more outgoing, more spontaneous, and more confident. 

The reasons why college students drink so much are infinite: to be popular, to be someone different, to meet people, etc.  We never realize though that all of us who get wasted on the weekends are binge drinkers and there can be some serious consequences from it. 

So what exactly is binge drinking?  By definition it is the heavy consumption of alcohol over a period of two hours.  So, what constitutes heavy consumption? For men it means five or more drinks and for women it’s four or more.  Binge drinking can go even further into heavy binge drinking where this occurrence happens three or more times in two weeks.  Obviously by this definition the majority of college students can say they are binge drinkers, or even heavy binge drinkers.

(istockphoto.com)

I will have to admit that throughout my college career I have been a heavy binge drinker and it happened the most when I was a freshman.  We are new to the scene and wanna go to all of the cool parties and meet the hot fraternity boys.  We get drunk because everyone else is and it’s more fun.  We play the drinking games like beer pong and flippy cup.  We dance on tables and do beer bongs.  That’s what college kids do.  But in the end is getting wasted really worth it?

In the next five weeks I’m going to explore binge drinking and decide for myself if getting drunk on the weekends is worth risking my health, my future, my life.  What will you decide?