(2) Health Effects of the Abuse of Alcohol and Other Drugs
Alcohol is the most frequently abused drug on campus and in society. National studies assessing the prevalence of alcohol use problems on college campuses have found that as many as one-third of college students meet the criteria for alcohol abuse and an additional 6% meet the criteria for alcohol dependence (alcoholism). Alcohol is a mind-altering drug, which depresses the central nervous system. This tranquilizing effect can slow motor speed and impair coordination. Speech, hearing and vision can be affected.
The most significant short-term risks of alcohol include auto accidents, the leading cause of death for young adults in the United States. Nationally, 25% of college students report injuries in the previous year while they were under the influence of alcohol. These injuries are often due to the additive effects of lowered inhibitions, impaired judgment and/or decreased coordination when students are intoxicated. The relatively recent addition of drinks combining alcohol with stimulant additives can lead to the illusion that drinkers are less intoxicated because they feel more awake. However, the degree of impairment in the drinker’s reaction time, coordination, and judgment is unchanged.
Cases of accidental overdoses of alcohol (alcohol poisoning) among college students are on the rise. In high concentrations, alcohol can drastically affect respiration and heart rate, and death from alcohol poisoning can occur when the blood alcohol level exceeds 0.40%. Even if low respiration levels do not lead to death, excessive amounts of alcohol in the body may cause vomiting, and in an individual who is passed out or unconscious, vomiting can result in death by asphyxiation. Alcohol poisoning also can lead to stroke and other serious heart problems, including sudden cardiac death.
Incidents of violence and vandalism are also significantly more common when students are under the influence of alcohol. For example, alcohol is involved in the vast majority of sexual assaults both on and off college campuses. Some perpetrators of assaults report they use alcohol to facilitate the act, and victims evidence more problems in recognizing and responding to impending danger while under the influence of alcohol.
Academic difficulties are less immediate but long-lasting effects of alcohol abuse. One of the most consistent findings of research on college drinking is the strong positive correlation between heavy alcohol use and poor academic performance for heavy or frequent drinkers. Research has also found that the first six weeks of college may be critical times for students with respect to alcohol use. Drinking patterns for students are often developed in this period and these can heavily influence a student’s academic adjustment to college in the first year. Approximately one-third of first year students do not return for their second year, and alcohol and other drug abuse is a causal factor for a number of those students not returning.
Abuse of alcohol not only affects the student who is drinking but also can have a negative impact on others. Alcohol abuse by peers can be a source of frustration for a number of college students. Problems sleeping, interference with academic work, feeling harassed or unsafe, feeling obligated to care for an intoxicated peer, occasionally being physically or verbally assaulted, or witnessing damage to their living space are among the most frequent complaints. Additionally, unruly intoxicated students can cause significant tensions in relations between the university and its neighbors.
Finally, potential risks of ongoing alcohol abuse also include some serious, long-term problems. Prolonged abuse of alcohol can lead to alcoholism, malnutrition, liver and brain damage, stomach ailments, sexual impotence, memory problems and heart and central nervous system damage.
Other drugs can have very serious health consequences as well. Norris Health Center has provided a
detailed explanation of the health consequences of various other drugs, including steroids, marijuana, cocaine, stimulants, nicotine, “date rape” drugs, ecstacy, hallucinogens, depressants, and narcotics.