While some students are happy when they drink, others drink when they’re happy — either way, it might not be a surprise that there is a correlation between happiness and drinking.
A recent study found that students who binge drink are happier in their social lives than students who don’t partake in binging, but the study fails to answer one important question: Do happy students binge drink, or does binge drinking make students happy?
Students have been warned against the dangers of binge drinking since freshmen orientation, but the term has earned such a negative reputation that most students associate it with irresponsible drinkers or alcoholics. Surely, our Thursday nights in Tigerland or tailgating parties don’t fall into the category of binge drinking.
But binge drinking is simply defined as four or more drinks for women and five drinks or more for men within a two-hour period, said Beth Reames, AgCenter nutritionist.
The binge drinking study, which was conducted by a researcher and sociologist at Colgate University in New York, examined the social lives of 1,595 students at a liberal arts college in the northeast, according to businessinsider.com.
The study contains several limitations, including the selection of students at only one university, but after reading the results, it’s easy to find similarities between these liberal arts students and almost any other group of students in the country.
The study found that students felt that they must drink to fit in with their peers.
Alcohol is embedded into Louisiana’s culture. Mix our culture with a college atmosphere, and you’ve got the “Reggie’s hand job” photo, or the unfortunate fan who was tea-bagged on Bourbon Street after the national championship game.
Social events spanning from football games to Thirsty Thursday are just a few of the numerous opportunities to drink near campus. On any given day, it’s easy to find a reason and place to drink in Baton Rouge.
Autumn Hoten, mathematics freshman, agreed.
“There are some significant events happening at bars every day, and if you’re looking for a reason to drink, there’s always an occasion,” she said.
Like any other 21-year-old college student, I drink at social events on and off campus, so I won’t play the preacher to the rest of the student body.
But the consequences of binge drinking are undeniable, and when thrown into the college culture, students should beware of excessive drinking.
Just Google “binge drinking and LSU,” and you can read some of the stories.
In 1997, the University made national news when Benjamin Wynne, a 20-year-old student, was found dead at a fraternity house with a blood alcohol level of 0.588. With the legal drinking limit for drivers at 0.08, Wynne was almost six times over the limit, according to a CNN article.
While many years have passed since the incident, binge drinking continues to be a problem on and around campus.
In an interview with The Advocate, former Student Government President Cody Wells said underage drinking and drunk driving remain major issues at the University.
“The culture in southern Louisiana definitely does lend our student population to have a good time, but I don’t think that affects our studies drastically,” Wells said in the interview.
While the impact of binge drinking on student grades can be debated, other outcomes, like alcohol poisoning and drunk driving accidents, have much deeper and longer lasting consequences.
Reames said binge drinking may also lead to a number of risky behaviors spanning from unintentional injury to unplanned pregnancy.
“Because of the risks associated with binge drinking, this behavior is not a recommended practice to gain happiness,” Reames said.
While we often joke that LSU students can out-drink students at other schools any day — which we can — binge drinking has serious consequences. So whether you’re tailgating or simply celebrating the beginning of a new school year, enjoy the fall season responsibly.
