College Binge Drinking’s Impact on Drinking Habits Research Paper

Introduction: Binge Drinking and Its Threats

No matter how sad it may sound, student drinking is not a myth. Several students indulge in binge drinking throughout their studying and life at campus. The results of such behavior, however, differ depending on a variety of factors; some students cease to drink as soon as they graduate, while others resume drinking even when they are supposed to enter the realm of adult life and start searching for a job. Seeing how the problem of binge drinking among students is slowly getting out of hand and becoming global, more thorough research based on a ten-year follow-up to a grand-scale study on binge drinking among students must be conducted.

Research Premise and Rationale: Alcoholism Rates Increasing Steadily

As one might have guessed, a rapid and sharp increase in the number of people with drinking problems was the main reason from the article to have been written. According to the author of the article, the key to the problem may be concealed in the specifics of student life that the people with a drinking problem used to lead during their academic years. The research was started ten years ago and presupposed that several students with obvious susceptibility to developing a drinking issue should be observed. Ten years later, the effects that college binge drinking had had on the former students were checked.

Article Findings and Their Significance: In Search for the Truth

When dealing with a problem as complicated as the one in question, one must be ready for retrieving rather ambiguous results. While several facts acquired in the course of the research point at the negative effects of binge drinking on most students, especially male ones, other factors, including societal and economic ones, as well as the ones related to students’ health, must be born in mind.

Binge drinking as a harmless pastime for students

Much to her credit, Jennison does not focus on a single hypothesis and explores alternative opinions regarding the issue in question. The article shows that the attempts to consider binge drinking as a relatively harmless pastime have been undertaken. Thus, Jennison managed to make the paper objective; the author refuses from taking sides and prefers to analyze the opponents’ viewpoint as well to come to the logical conclusion.

Binge drinking as a path leading to alcoholism in the future

Even though in several cases, people find the will power to overcome their habit of drinking and find a less harmful way of entertaining themselves, the study carried out by Jennison has also shown that the number of people unwilling to give up their harmful addiction is growing rapidly. An evaluation of the personal and professional progress of the people who used to indulge in binge drinking as students has shown that only 15.5% of the respondents managed to abstain from consuming alcohol in the future (Jennison, 2004, p. 667). Speaking of the number of former students who did not handle their addiction, one must admit that the impressive 55% speaks for itself.

Analysis: When Binge Drinking Stops Being an Integral Part of Studentship

Though solid and reliable, the research mentioned above still needs further development, seeing how it embraces a relatively small amount of people and, therefore, does not produce the results that are general enough to be one hundred percent credible. More to the point, the social status of the students mentioned in the research, as well as their family background or health issues, have not been mentioned in the article, which begs the question whether binge drinking has the same effects on every student or whether only the people with a particular social background are predisposed to further alcohol consumption after graduating from college or any other higher education establishment.

Nevertheless, the results offered by Jennison in her article on student binge drinking are quite impressive To start with, the scope of the research is an obvious strength, seeing how it is a follow-up to the previous study that was carried out ten years ago. Therefore, it can be expected that the research contains authentic results and has an incredible significance for the studies of student drinking and the associated problems.

The strength of Jennison’s article concerns the range of aspects, which the researcher considers the problem. Taking a closer look at the research, one will be able to spot that the author considers the problem of binge drinking among the American youth from a range of aspects, including not only social but also a cultural and economical one, therefore, allowing for a more cohesive and efficient solution to be provided.

Conclusion: Evaluating the Possible Outcomes

Jennison’s article should be given credit for the effort put into the research. What started ten years ago and has now provided fruitful results may be used as the premise for creating a major strategy for preventing drinking problems. Thus, safer lifestyle can be promoted among students.

Reference List

Jennison, K. (2004). The short-term effects and unintended long-term consequences of binge drinking in college: A 10-year follow-up study. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 30(3), 659–684.