Alcohol, Drugs, and
School
By: Angela Scheuermann
The new school year promises many things to stu
dents: new beginnings, new friends, and new chal
lenges. Most community college students are faced
with juggling work, school, and family in combination
with commuting to and from campus. The rewards
and the pressures are great! Students may feel
stretched to the max, and may look for an “easy fix” in
order to cope with all the demands. But when does an
“easy fix” become a problem?
Several recent college and university studies have
documented high rates of drinking and drug use, which
have led to a wide range of negative consequences for
students. The most common consequences of alcohol
abuse were difficulty meeting academic responsibili
ties, poor performance on tests and assignments, and
missed classes.
An alcohol and drug survey of 128 WCC students con
ducted during 2004 revealed some interesting results.
Of the students surveyed, 88.4% were freshmen,
81.9% were in the “typical” college age range of 18-22
years old, and 91.4% were full-time students. The
WCC survey results were compared to a nationwide
survey of 93,670 college students. Regarding alcohol
use, the average number of drinks consumed per week
by WCC students was 2.1 drinks as compared to the
national average of 5.2 drinks. Binge drinking, which
is defined as five or more drinks in a row for men, and
four or more drinks in a row for women in the previ
ous two weeks, was reported by 20.1% of the WCC
students as compared to the national average of 42%.
A comparison survey of 5,000 students from 11 two-
year colleges found a correlation between grades and
the amount of alcohol consumed. Students with an A
average had 0-2.5 drinks per week, B students aver
aged 3.5 drinks per week, C students consumed about
five drinks per week, and students who earned D’s and
F’s drank 5-6 drinks per week.
Trouble with college authorities or the police due to
alcohol or drug use may indicate that former recrea
tional use has become problematic substance use/
abuse. Of the 128 WCC students surveyed, 26.7%
reported some form of public misconduct at least once
during the past year as a result of drinking or drug use.
The survey results also show that WCC students were
twice as likely to NOT drink and drive as compared to
the national averages, and were half as likely to have
been arrested for DWI/DUI. The bulk of the miscon
duct reported above included trouble with police, col
lege authorities or others, and property damage.
Tobacco use by WCC students surveyed was greater
than the national average and the use of sedatives and
amphetamines were about equal to the national aver
ages. Yet, at parties 68.9% of the students said they
would prefer NOT to have alcohol served, and 90.2%
of students indicated they would prefer NOT to have
drugs available.
A few sobering statistics from Facts on Tap at http://
www.factsontap.org/
* According to the Core Institute, an organization that
surveys college drinking practices, 300,000 of today's
college students will eventually die of alcohol-
related causes such as drunk driving accidents, cirrho
sis of the liver, various cancers and heart disease.
* 159,000 of today's first- year college students will
drop out of school next year for alcohol- or other
drug-related reasons. The average student spends
about $900 on alcohol each year. Do you want to
know how much cash the average student drops on his
or her books? About $450.
* Almost one-third of college students admit to
having missed at least one class because of their
alcohol or drug use, and nearly one-quarter of stu
dents report bombing a test or project because of the
aftereffects of drinking or doing drugs.
* One night of heavy drinking can impair your
ability to think abstractly for up to 30 days, limiting
your ability to relate textbook reading to what your
professor says, or to think through a football play.
For more information on college studies of alcohol and
drug use go to the Higher Education Center for Alco
hol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention at
http://www.edc.org/hec/.
Help is available. For a confidential meeting, screen
ing, or treatment referrals call Angela Scheuermann,
Counselor, WCC Student Services at (336)838-6147.
WILKES
CO/V\/V\UNlTY
COLLEGE