a#1 person on street final

8/12/2019 A#1 Person on Street FINAL

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SEO: Binge drinking widespread in College Park

Under the influence and over the limit

Playboy ranking highlights prominence of dangerous habit

Students cram together, many gripping the sweaty metal handrails for dear life,

while others squeeze into seats beneath pink neon lights of the shuttle. A faint aroma of

vomit wafts through the air as a gaggle of scantily dressed women stumble down the bus

steps onto Route 1. A bottled concoction of Burnettes Vodka and Mountain Dew rolls

down the sticky aisle as the next herd of hammered students shovetheir way in. For

many, including senior Melissa Nickols, this is a typical Saturday night at Playboys

tenth ranked party school in the nation.

Although ubiquitous in college, binge drinking

is an issue that many students face. Though binge

drinking is damaging to health, many continue to

exercise the habit. Nickols, who says she consumes an

average of eight alcoholic drinks on a typical weekend,

admits she should probably not be drinking this

much.

(more)

Melissa Nickols, 21, enjoys a beer

at the end of a long week.

Photo source Melissa Nickols


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Basics of bingeing

Binge drinking is defined as, a pattern of

drinking that brings a persons blood alcohol

concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above,

according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse

and Alcoholism. This typically occurs when men

consume five or more drinks, and when women consume four or more drinks, in about

two hours, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Binge drinking is associated with numerous health

problems including unintentional injuries, alcohol

poising, and sexually transmitted diseases. Studies show

that about one-third of college students met criteria for a

diagnosis of alcohol abuse, a statistic that junior

communication major Jenn Eisenberg finds alarming.

Its really unhealthy, says Eisenberg. The

average person takes at least five shots before they

even go out. Ask any parent and they would all say that we have drinking problems.

(more)

Jenn Eisenberg, 21, thinks binge

drinking is problem for studentsin College Park. Photo source

Jenn Eisenberg.

Ask any parent

and they would

all say that wehave drinking

problems.Jenn Eisenberg, junior

communication major


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Not all students are passengers on the binging bandwagon, however.

Sophomore Andy Mirovic, who does not drink at all, agrees that binge drinking is

a problem, not only here, but on any college campus.

I can have fun without drinking, Mirovic says confidently, though many do not

share a similar sentiment.

Campus sponsors alcohol programs

For sophomore Sophie Weiss, binge drinking became problematic when her

friend learned the consequences the hard way.

She had to leave school three weeks after her second semester here. She went to

rehab and now she goes to a different school, Weiss explains.

In an attempt to prevent similar cases, The University Health Center offers a

number of programs dealing with alcohol abuse, including AlcoholEDU, eCHUG,

CHOICES and the Campus Alcohol Coalition. These resources can be accessed online at

http://www.alcohol.umd.edu/.

Despite the universitys efforts, many believe its a moot point.

Its so hard to get students to stop, Weiss says. People wont stop if they dont

want to. I just wish it were different.

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http://www.alcohol.umd.edu/http://www.alcohol.umd.edu/http://www.alcohol.umd.edu/

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