The Dilemma of College Age Drinking

Here are few statistics from 2009(hingson et al. 2009) 1,825 college students
between the ages of 18-24 die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, 599,000 students are unintentionally injured while under the influence, 696,000 assaults are a result of  students under the influence, 97,000 sexual assaults, 400,000 students have unsafe, unprotected sex, and 3,360,000 students will drink and drive.  In addition to this, there are academic problems, vandalism and the criteria for students becoming alcohol dependent.

So what can be done to help this growing dilemma ?  Should the university throw the books at
these students and threaten expulsion for this kind of behavior ? What can be done to get these
students on the right track and create a greater sense of responsibility ?  The answer in my opinion is really quite simple.  Research shows that parental involvement is the key to tackling this issue.  Students seem to be more concerned about their parents being notified of their behavior then the legalconsequences associated with their actions.   According to an article in the Washington Post, there is a “growing list of colleges that notify parents every time a student younger than 21 is caught drinking, drunk or in possession of alcohol,”.  These schools also report that the students fear this approach more than any other consequence.  So in the end, it’s back to the basics. 

Parents are the ones that have the greatest ability to take care of the problem and get it back under control.  In my opinion, every university should incorporate the “parental notification policy” into their handbooks if they want to reduce the dilemma of alcohol related problems among the student body.  If you or someone you know needs legal advice call the office of James B. Head at 770 838-7829 or contact us today.