A look at use and abuse of Alcohol amongst college students

Children are the…future?  “Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future”. - John Fitzgerald Kennedy (American 35th US President)  “Children are our most valuable resource.” - Herbert Hoover. (American 31 st President)  “Children are one third of our population and all of our future.” (Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health, 1981)  “I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside.” -Whitney Houston (American Singer & Actress)

The saying should go “Children are our future…as long as they…  Pursue a college education  Make all of the right choices  Don’t succumb to peer pressure They will be the leader of tomorrow.”

Some Facts about college age students & Alcohol  1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes  599,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are unintentionally injured under the influence of alcohol.  The age of 19 to 24 is associated with the highest prevalence of periodic heavy alcohol consumption during the life span

 To show students the difference between  Use & Abuse UseAbuse VS.

 What is a standard drink in the United States? A standard drink is equal to 14.0 grams (0.6 ounces) of pure alcohol. Generally, this amount of pure alcohol is found in  12-ounces of beer.  8-ounces of malt liquor.  5-ounces of wine.  1.5-ounces or a “shot” of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor (e.g., gin, rum, vodka, or whiskey).

 Moderate Use: Means the drinking is not getting you intoxicated, or drunk, and you are drinking no more than 1 drink per day if you are a woman and no more than 2 if you are a man. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1½ ounces of liquor.

 What do you mean by heavy/binge drinking?  For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming an average of more than 2 drinks per day. For women, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming an average of more than 1 drink per day  According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism binge drinking is defined as a pattern of alcohol consumption that brings the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level to 0.08% or more. This pattern of drinking usually corresponds to 5 or more drinks on a single occasion for men or 4 or more drinks on a single occasion for women, generally within about 2 hoursNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

 Alcohol Affects  Memory – Alcohol impairs memory by inhibiting the transfer and consolidation of information in long- term memory, reducing our ability to remember information that we learned prior to drinking.  Problem Solving - Alcohol deadens the left side of the brain (the rational, logical side) while the right side of the brain (the creative, impulsive side) becomes more active. This can lead to impaired problem solving.  Attention and Concentration – Your attention span is shorter for periods up to forty-eight hours after drinking

GPA & Drinks Consumed

From a national study conducted at four-year colleges and universities by Henry Wechsler  1/3 of drinking students missed class  Out of students that drank more than three times in a week:  60% missed class  46% had fallen behind

 Some signs of Dependence are:  Drinking more than intended/wanted to  Getting into trouble while drinking  Missing work or school after a drinking episode  Memory Lapses

 Factors that contribute to Alcohol Dependency  Family history of alcoholism  Frequency of use  Environmental  Socialization

Short Term – Binge Drinking  Vandalism  Fights  Injuries  Drunk Driving  Trouble police Long Term – Binge Drinking  Anemia  Cardiovascular Disease  Cirrohsis  Dementia  Seizures

 We would like students to reflect on  “ Are you at risk?”  “What is my level of use?”  “Is my alcohol use affecting my college career?

 Alcohol andAcademic Performance. (2006). Retrieved October 25, 2011, from  College Drinking Changing the Culture. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2011, from Collegedrinkingprevention:  Intervening to decrease alcohol abuse at university parties: differential reinforcement of intoxication – Angela K. Fournier, Ian J. Ehrhart, Kent E. Glindemann and E. Scott Geller Behav Modif : 167 DOI: / ;  Lloyd D. Johnston, P. M. (2001). Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, In P. M. Lloyd D. Johnston, Volume 1: Secondary School Students. Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.  Measuring college students’ alcohol consumption in natural drinking environments: Field methodologies for bars and parties- John D. Clapp, Megan R holmes, Mark B. Reed, Audrey M. Shillington, Bridget Freisthler and James E Lange. Eval Rev : 469 DOI: / X  Personality, alcohol use and drinking motives: A comparison of independent and combined internal drinking motives groups Abby L. Goldstein and Gordon L Flett Behav Modif : 182 originally published online 3 October 2008 DOI: /  Residence hall room type and alcohol use among college students living on campus Jennifer E. Cross, Don Zimmerman and Megan O’Grady Environment and Behavior : 583 originally published online 13 January 2009 DOI: /  United States Department of Agriculture and United States Department of Health and Human Services. (2008, July 09). Retrieved October 28, 2011