Excessive Drinking

 

Excessive drinking is as integral a part of the university lifestyle as reading course packs, attending lectures and sleeping in.

 

Some students, especially those leaving home, see university as a chance to let loose and indulge.

 

Pre-meditated drinking has increased, said Patty Allen, health educator at Carleton’s Health and Counselling Services.

 

“It’s a busy lifestyle,” she said. “We schedule everything in from reading our e-mail to text-messaging people, to pre-drinking . . . It’s like you need to have a mass equation.”

 

She said students also feel alcohol relieves some of the pressure of meeting new people.

 

A first-year journalism student, who preferred to be identified only as Samantha, said alcohol is like a “social lubricant.”

 

“I feel like alcohol is an icebreaker,” said Deanna, a second-year mass communications student. “First week of university, all the kids are in the same boat. Being drunk together allows them to be more outgoing and make friends faster, and overall, to have more fun.”

 

Allen, who is an organizer for the Drink Wise program at Carleton, said excessive drinking is accepted as part of the university lifestyle, however, the study hard, play hard attitude is concerning.

 

“They are going to class, they are studying, they are handing in their assignments,” she said. “They are designating a specific night for themselves to treat themselves. [They say] ‘I owe this to myself to get totally wasted.’ ”

 

Excessive drinking increases the chances of alcohol poisoning, fighting and engaging in unprotected sex. However, the trend is only likely to continue on its current course, she said.

 

“It seems like drinking, and being drunk, makes every event more fun,” Deanna said. “Students get hammered before going to sporting events, parties, even before hitting the bars.”

 

This worries counsellors like Allen.

 

“When you’re that drunk, you make really bad decisions,” Allen said.