Alcohol Abuse in College

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how the definitions of binge drinking vary in relation to the respective social contexts. The paper shows how binge drinking has been characterized as the foremost public health hazard for college students. The paper reveals that one of the most common reasons for binge drinking is peer pressure and the example set by other students and the particular social and cultural contexts. The paper explains the social bond theory and the consequences of binge drinking. The paper stresses the need for more comprehensive research due to the many different and often contradictory views on the seriousness and extent of binge drinking.

Outline:
Definitions and Overview
Causes
The Consequences of Binge Drinking
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"There is no common consensus as to exact definition of what constitutes "binge drinking". One view that has entered the popular perception is that binge drinking refers to ".... an extended period of time, usually two days or more, during which a person repeatedly drank to intoxication, giving up usual activities and obligations." (Binge drinking) Another definition is that "Binge drinking has been defined as the consumption of five or more drinks in a row (Haines " (Durkin, Wolfe & Clark, 1999, p. 450) This view is extended in the following definition of binge drinking as a "... pattern of heavy drinking that occurs during an extended period of time set aside for drinking. It has been described as 5/4 binge drinking: five or more drinks in a row on a single occasion for a man or four or more drinks for a woman." (Understanding Alcohol) This estimate has become the basic measure of binge drinking in many studies."

Sample of Sources Used:

• A Snapshot of Annual High-Risk College Drinking Consequences. Retrieved March 1, 2006, from http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/StatsSummaries/snapshot.aspx
• Durkin, K. F., Wolfe, T. W., & Clark, G. (1999). Social Bond Theory and Binge Drinking among College Students: A Multivariate Analysis. College Student Journal, 33(3), 450. Retrieved March 3, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5001892955
• Binge Drinking. Retrieved March 1, 2006, from http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/BingeDrinking.html
• Binge drinking. ( 2005) BMA. Retrieved March 1, 2006, from http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/Hubhotpbingedrinking
• Binge Drinking in Adolescents and College Students. US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved March 1, 2006, from http://www.health.org/govpubs/rpo995/

More papers on Alcohol Abuse in College:

• Research Paper # 108068 : "Alcohol abuse"
• Analytical Essay # 25828 : "Health and Consequences of Binge Drinking in College"
• Dissertation or Thesis # 75668 : "Casual Leisure in the U.S. and Southeast Asia"

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