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ALCPSY1000: An Analysis of College-Age Alcoholism

By Ore Fawole

“Get ready with me for a Friday night out at The University of Alabama. I got drunk last night, but, let’s do it again!”

If you have TikTok, you have probably seen various “get ready with me” videos following this same vein of introduction. Darcy McQueeny, a senior at The University of Alabama, is famous for this video formula and has racked up 1 million followers on TikTok alone. However, on Nov. 4, one of her videos was met with a reaction that most were not expecting. Brittney Carol, a creator with 0.32% of Darcy’s following, stitched her video and addressed Darcy’s, and American colleges’ in general, penchant for binge drinking.

“You going out every night and getting blackout drunk is a form of alcoholism, whether you want to admit it or not.”

 Darcy’s fans shut down Brittney’s ideas immediately. She turned off the comments for the initial video, and Darcy’s response video revealed that most people were on her side. This is what the college experience is, right? This argument brings about a question that many have avoided for years. People on TikTok claim they are blacking out from “Thirsty Thursday” through Sunday night (and that is not even considered a “bender”). Countless articles depict students as walking Tito’s handles, but they never take the time to examine why this type of drinking occurs. So, it is time to explore college-aged alcoholism through the lens of a college student. Are college students, like Darcy, alcoholics? 

Binge drinking is defined as reaching a blood alcohol level of above 0.08, or about five or more drinks (shots, beers, seltzers, or mixed drinks), in two hours. Although many students might disagree with this definition, it is the medical standard. According to a study done by the NIH, more than 50% of students aged 18 through 22 are drinking, and a third of college students binge drink semi-regularly. Twenty percent of college students meet the criteria for what is commonly labeled as alcoholism: alcohol use disorder, defined as the inability to limit alcohol consumption despite the adverse social, academic, or health consequences. These statistics are high compared to people in the same age range who are not enrolled in college. Although this study listed essential demographics — such as age, sex, and race — they failed to consider one crucial factor: what college the students attended. 

Drinking habits differ greatly from school to school. Students at smaller liberal arts colleges, like Berry College, are not drinking nearly as much as huge state schools. Through a series of anonymous surveys from universities, we get a glimpse of students’ drinking habits. The University of Alabama, Penn State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison all report drinking habits well above average, with the latter stating that 85% of students drink. Many factors may influence drinking habits, more so at some schools than others. For instance, gameday culture runs rampant at these schools, and they have very prominent Greek life, along with “party school” reputations. Here at the University of Pittsburgh, where these cultures are much less impactful, students are more on par with national averages. In a survey of 100 Pitt students, 47% reported drinking with only 13% binge drinking semi-regularly. 

Drinking at a young age causes a myriad of adverse effects that can follow students even long after they earn their diploma. Twenty-five percent of students report that drinking has negatively affected their performance in school. Students are much more likely to skip classes and perform poorly on exams and papers. Aside from the academic effects, it seems every year we hear of a new student dying from drinking too much too quickly, or what is clinically described as acute alcohol poisoning. Not only are these students drinking way past their limit, but their peers are also too afraid to ask for help due to possible consequences, especially if they are unaware of the amnesty from code violations granted to students who call for medical aid in these situations. Multiple studies show that premature binge drinking decreases gray matter volume and thickness, annuls white matter growth, and decreases cognitive function in students who drink compared to their peers. From the moment children are made aware of alcohol, parents, teachers, and every adult warn them that drinking before the age of 21 will ruin their brains, which is backed up by research. However, because of alcohol’s ability to permeate almost every tissue in your body, it can also harm the cell function of most organs. One of the more common health problems that arise from excess drinking is liver disease, and college students are well aware of this. However, being self-aware does not diminish the actual effect alcohol has on your hepatic system. Because your liver metabolizes alcohol, the toxic byproducts of that metabolism begin to cause problems such as a fatty liver, hepatitis, and cirrhosis. 

Most students are aware of the adverse effects of drinking a lot, so why do they continue to do it? Usual coverage of the college binge drinking crisis usually stops before asking this question, but it is important to consider. Students are under immense amounts of stress, much of which is impossible to alleviate. In the previously mentioned survey, when asked why Pitt students drink, one student stated, “After a hard week of school, I feel like we are trained to reward ourselves by partying on the weekends.” School is difficult, and buying a pack of White Claws or hiking up to the hill houses can often seem like a quicker and cheaper solution to school-related stress than seeking out counseling or the advising office. Many students drink socially, but it is not nearly as devious as it may seem. Anyone who went through the DARE program as a child might remember the warning that peer pressure will force you into knocking back shots every weekend, but most college students do not feel that way. Eighty-three percent of Pitt students do not feel pressured to drink by their peers. If you don’t drink, you simply don’t drink. Although this is normal for some students, they do not force their “normal” upon everyone.

Every administrator has come into contact with and even shared the information presented so far, but drinking habits have mostly stayed the same. Students are going to drink no matter what. However, if administrators genuinely want to see a difference in on-campus drinking habits, they might want to address the causes. And in seeing how academic stress affects students, this includes increasing access to mental health resources and academic advisors, regulating workloads from each course, and supporting their students more proactively. 

So, after versing ourselves in college drinking habits, we are back to our initial question: is Darcy an alcoholic? Are all college students alcoholics? Although many have tried to swing the debate in either direction, we cannot diagnose a person on the internet, much less an entire demographic, with alcohol use disorder — especially without medical training. It is true that some students have problems with alcohol that should be addressed by their university. However, by understanding why students are consuming this much alcohol, we can begin to empathize with them instead of sticking a negative label on them. There is no way to create truly dry campuses — students have and will ferment their own grapes and wheat in order to drink — but if we start the conversation without labels and finger-pointing, and continue to provide resources like Pitt’s Collegiate Recovery Program to those who need support with substance abuse and academics, we might actually make a change.