College Drinking Environment Is Not Spontaneous

Preventing underage drinking is a huge problem. In Ohio, the total amount of funds available for combating underage drinking amounts to about $85 million per year but the cost of harm from underage drinking amounts to about $3.1 billion per year. Ohio ranks sixth in the costs of harm per youth, including accidents, accidental deaths, homicides, suicides, assaults, rapes and other behavioral, mental and health problems among young people.

The realities of underage drinking have been on an unfortunate public display after a rash of college drinking incidents.  The following comments were submitted to the Coalition by an anonymous recent college graduate.

“At the start of my freshman year I discovered ‘Horny Shorney’ was the nickname of my dormitory. Drunken fraternity brothers on my floor made a weekly routine of ripping the water fountain off the wall and throwing it down the stairs. There was a mixture of upper classmen doing bong rips in the bathroom and sorority sophomores luring freshman girls into taking tequila shots. As impressionable freshmen, this was our environment!

To me, at the time, this was what I had always imagined college to be. It was not long before I was drawn into the illusion that this behavior was something to revere. It carried into my sophomore year where I found myself vandalizing school property with the intent of gaining recognition from my peers.

The conditions of both my freshman and sophomore year jumpstarted my views in which I believed alcohol and other substances were the main component in creating and sustaining relationships.

Unfortunately, this was not a conscious awareness at the time. The truth is my college career involved my sorority sisters, track teammates and some classmates drinking in excess to the point of intoxication, waking up to either being late to, missing, and/or skipping class altogether and laughing about the ridiculous misbehaviors of the night before. 

Would it have been different if I didn’t live in “Horny Shorney” or joined a sorority? I don’t know because I think it’s more than just mere peer influences and one’s environment that frame your choices. It’s the foundation that you were given that determines the choices you make. Do drugs and alcohol with caution.” 

The situation on college campuses is not a spontaneous one.  Children develop attitudes and beliefs about alcohol and other drug use at a very young age.  Parents and communities need to send a clear message to youth from a very early age and work together to build a safe and alcohol-free environment for youth to grow up in.  

Read more in our Parents Guide and find your local coalition today!
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