While the answers are most likely many, the simplest answer IS that it is simple.

Abusing alcohol is easy to do. Few immediate penalties for excessive drinking, repeat offenders not being disciplined, parents not being told about their children’s drinking activities, students getting mixed messages from the college administration about alcohol, students having seen their parents drinking alcohol in an careless manner, students not being educated about the long-term harmful consequences of alcohol abuse, there being few alcohol-free social and leisure activities that are eye-catching to students, minors or inebriated students being served alcoholic beverages by the local drinking establishments, and the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities not being monitored all lead to drinking and excessive drinking becoming just one more drink away.

What are factors leading students into alcohol abuse? Many factors exist supporting the ease with which college students turn to alcohol. Peer pressure or influence being added to the equation, the disregard that drinking alcohol only temporarily removes a person from his or her problems, the belief or opinion that drinking alcohol makes it easier to socialize with potential dating or sexual partners, the appearance that it is so acceptable to engage in activities that highlight the drinking of alcohol, the “good feelings” or the “fun” of getting an alcohol high or buzz, and when the party atmosphere at college is expected by students all help to sustain an alcoholic lifestyle on campus.

It needs to begin with more than just education. While making students knowledgeable to the dangers out there, especially in regards to the prevention of drug or alcohol abuse, it is not the only answer to the struggle with these issues at our colleges.

First, we have to look at being both proactive and reactive. With this concept in mind, alcohol abuse has begun to be dealt with in with many reactive and proactive measures at some colleges and universities. These measures have included the reducing of the availability and acceptability while punishing the irresponsibility of alcohol use on and off campus. The result has been a reduction of alcohol related problems started by students.

What are some of these measures? Establishing immediate consequences for excessive drinking, disciplining repeat alcohol abuse offenders, notifying parents about their children’s drinking activities, eliminating mixed messages by college administrators about alcohol (for instance, removing alcohol advertisements from stadiums and from sports brochures), informing students about the long-tern negative consequences of alcohol abuse, increasing alcohol-free social and recreational activities that are attractive to students, having college administrators talk to the owners of local drinking establishments so that minors and/or intoxicated students are not served alcohol, and monitoring the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities.

While medical intervention and treatment are beneficial, they are not enough on their own. The proactive and reactive measures now being enforced are needed along with education and possible medical treatments. No matter if modern medicine provides a “cure” for addiction and makes it available to everyone, there will be those to decide to ignore the help available for whatever reasoning. They will continue to destroy their own health and bury themselves in alcohol and/or drug abuse,