Alcohol and Drug Policy at Occidental College Analytical Essay
Alcohol and Drug Policy at Occidental College
Analysis and discussion of why current alcohol policies at Occidental College are flawed and unsupported by science, while the drug policies are appropriate.
# 120352
| 1,451 words
| 5 sources
| APA
| 2010
|

Published
on Jun 10, 2010
in
Education
(Higher)
, Psychology
(Social)
, Psychology
(Alcohol and Drugs)
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Description:
This paper analyzes the current alcohol policies at Occidental College, and offers evidence as to why the policies ineffective in minimizing individual and public health risks. The paper mentions the policies' use of outdated alcohol research, their lack of social consideration, and their disregard for the historical precedent of American drinking in response to regulation. The paper explains that although freshmen are required to complete the Alcohol Wise program and the subsequent tutorials if found in violation of the policy, this has little to no effect on the drinking behavior of the students at the college. In contrast, the paper agrees with the college's no-tolerance policy regarding drugs, opining that such substances are highly addictive and even habitual use of small amounts will lead to addiction in almost all individuals. In conclusion, the paper suggests that the relationship between alcohol and students should be reevaluated in a social context at the school and then a new policy should be instated, incorporating a support system for students who suffer from, or have issues with, alcoholism.
From the Paper:
"Not only can the policy be critiqued for its lack of social consideration but also because it ignores the historical precedent of American drinking in response to regulation. One look at the period of Prohibition can tell how little Americans about following the law when it comes to alcohol consumption. Although alcohol was nationally prohibited and a violation of the constitution during the Prohibition period, saloons and speak easies still flourished. Even before Prohibition, attempts to regulate Americans' drinking consistently failed, because "Despite regulations on the amount of time one could spend in a tavern, how much one could drink there, and penalties for drunkenness including public whippings and the stocks, Americans continued to drink and get drunk .""Sample of Sources Used:
- "Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy," Occidental College Student Handbook, General College Policies, Fall 2009.
- Levine, Harry G., "The Discovery of Addiction: Changing Conceptions of Habitual Drunkenness in America," Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 15 (1978): 495.
- Room, Robin, Babor, Thomas Babor, and Rehm, Jurgen, "Alcohol and public health," Lancet, 365 (2005): 522.
- Wilkie A. Wilson and Cynthia M. Kuhn, "How Addiction Hijacks Our Reward System," Cerebrum:TheDana Forum on Brain Science, 7, no. 2 (2005): 55
- Yangwen Sheng, "The Social Life of Opium in China, 1483-1999," Modern Asian Studies, 37, no. 1 (2003): 36
Cite this Analytical Essay:
APA Format
Alcohol and Drug Policy at Occidental College (2010, June 10)
Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/alcohol-and-drug-policy-at-occidental-college-120352/
MLA Format
"Alcohol and Drug Policy at Occidental College" 10 June 2010.
Web. 22 September. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/alcohol-and-drug-policy-at-occidental-college-120352/>