Abstract

College drinking exists as something much greater than an individual or local problem.  It must be seen as a social phenomenon in order to directly understand the significance of this issue. Throughout America, excessive or binge drinking happens on a daily basis and is happening for a variety of reasons.  One must first understand the factors that lead into drinking, the first being precursors within the individual. Family history, personality, experience with alcohol, etc.  The second is understanding the environment.  The environment in which college drinking even exists is one of the primary causes for this behavior.  The social norms and pressures faced at school along with the overbearing presence of alcohol creates an ecosystem of underage drinkers who partake in often times, reckless and dangerous behavior. Many see alcohol as an escape or an excuse in order to act outside of their normal behavior, and because of this, alcohol transforms the student body into a unique population.  College culture revolves around alcohol.  It can be linked to nearly all of the social aspects of college life, along with negative effects in academics, and often times legal issues. It can affect those who drink and also those who do not.  This research will explore this controversy in a new light in order to fully understand why this is happening, how alcohol affects student culture, and what can be done to stop it.