2008 Woodie Awards
Students who drink at home less likely to binge in college
Courtney Bailey
Issue date: 10/23/07 Section: News
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Barbara Deichert, a substance abuse counselor for Wellspring Student Wellness Program, said drinking to get drunk is dangerous at any age, but has specific implications for younger people.
Deichert said young people often begin using alcohol because they believe it is a fun activity to engage in with friends. Drinking makes it easier to socialize and form healthy friendships and romantic relationships. As this behavior becomes more repetitive or consistent, tolerance to alcohol increases and young people often end up using more alcohol to achieve the desired euphoric effect.
"The problem is that an increase in alcohol intake has a host of physical, emotional, mental and situational risks," she said. "When young people begin to depend on alcohol for a good time or to help them make friends, they are really cheating themselves out of learning healthy ways of communicating and expressing themselves."
Deichert said growth and development cannot occur if young people do not push themselves out of their comfort zones and find new ways to solve problems. Excess drinking may make things easier in the short run, but it can postpone development and actually prolong emotionally upsetting or difficult situations.
She said there are a number of studies that show the effects of heavier or extended use of alcohol. It can have a negative impact on impulse control, memory function and decision making. Alcohol can also disrupt sleep, which contributes to temporary learning and memory impairment, she said.
"In young people, there are parts of the brain that are still continuing to develop during adolescence and even in the early 20s," Deichert said. "These are the hippocampus, which affects memory and ability to absorb and retain new information, and the prefrontal areas of the brain, which play an important role in planning, decision making and impulse control."
She said as a result of using alcohol to socialize, relax, feel less inhibited or escape, young people can also start to rely on defense mechanisms that can keep them from making positive changes and perpetuate behaviors that hold them back or repeat choices they will later regret.
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