Alcohol is the most common substance abused by college students. Thousands of people who begin abusing alcohol as college students will eventually die from causes related to alcohol, including accidents—like drunk driving—heart disease, cirrhosis, and organ damage. Women who drink consistently heavy amounts of alcohol can also be at an increased risk for breast cancer.

Abusing Alcohol

When a person abuses alcohol, he can experience a variety of side effects. But since alcohol doesn’t have the reputation for danger such as cocaine or ecstasy, most college students don’t think twice about drinking heavily. Abusing alcohol seems to be a part of college life. Yet the side effects of alcohol are serious and should be considered. They can include changes in personality, depression, severe mood swings, and declining grades. People who abuse alcohol can also lose interest in their family and friends and have difficulty paying attention in school or when performing other tasks.

After one night of heavy drinking, it can take up to a month for the body to fully recover and attention skills and other functions to return to normal. Other side effects of alcohol abuse can include a lack of physical coordination, changes in eating habits, puffy face, tremors, sweating, and a hacking cough.

One of the biggest concerns as well for college students who abuse alcohol is that the substance can greatly lower the user’s inhibitions. When drunk, students may do things they would not ordinarily consider doing. This can be a large part of the reason why students abuse alcohol in the first place, but it can also be a dangerous side effect of the drug. Up to 70 percent of college students have reported that they engaged in sexual activity when they were drunk and their inhibitions were lowered. Rapes and other forms of physical abuse are also commonly a result of the assailant being drunk or someone taking advantage of another person who is drunk.

Women are particularly vulnerable to unwanted sexual attention or rape when drunk because alcohol has been shown to generally affect women more easily than men. College students who abuse alcohol should be aware of these facts besides the importance of having a designated driver when drinking. Too often, students feel they may pay better attention when drinking, but in truth their reaction time is just too slow and impaired to operate a vehicle.

Students should consider the dangers of alcohol abuse before making it a part of their college experience.