SCC strives to protect students from the dangers of binge drinking

It is estimated about half of all college students consume alcohol, and of those half, half are binge drinkers.

The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as four drinks within two hours or five drinks for males.
Every student comes to college to further their education, but the college experience is notorious for the party scene.
“Before going to college, I knew there would be parties, but I didn’t expect I would party as much as I do,” SCC student Jenny Slater said.
“I probably spend around $50 a month just on alcohol because I drink every weekend,” she explained. “Most of the drinking takes place on Saturdays due to the football game.”
The NIAAA also claims that alcohol is the root of some troubling issues on college campuses nationwide, such as assault, rape and even some deaths. However, most students often don’t consider those dangers when consuming alcoholic beverages.
“I know that too much alcohol can mess with your health in the long run and I do sometimes think about what could happen to me or my body, but those thoughts go away on the weekends when I’m taking shots with friends,” Slater said.
SCC is currently working toward making students aware of the effects of alcohol.
“Consuming alcohol often leads to high-risk behavior, which can present issues on campuses such as assaults and other troubling things for students,” Beatrice Dean of Student Services Tom Cardwell said. “To prevent these problems SCC and some other colleges in the area are part of a coalition. The coalition is really a social norming campaign where we are working to make students aware of how much alcohol is in a drink and the dangers of binge drinking.”
Not only is SCC working to inform students of the dangers of drinking, rules are set in place to reduce partying on campus.
“I don’t think SCC has a problem with alcohol more than any other college, but we do have rules that are designed to curtail alcohol abuse for students,” Cardwell said. “No drugs or alcohol are permitted on any of the campuses, and where we have student housing available, curfews are set for students. We also have the hallways of the dorms monitored to stop any [alcohol-related] parties.”
Cardwell added, “We really encourage socialization among students because making friends can be the most memorable part of the college experience, but we are also heavily promoting a safe environment for students to learn.”
Behind the rules is a step-process for punishments if students are caught engaging in drinking on campuses.
“Students who get caught with alcohol on campus take a class that I lead where they learn about alcohol abuse prevention, normative behavior and ways to avoid trouble,” Cardwell said. “We have a step-by-step approach to punishment, so a first offense may not have the same consequences as a third offense would. Ultimately, students can be banned from living on the campus, but that is extremely rare.”
While there are always going to be opportunities present for partying on campuses, Cardwell emphasized it is important that students carefully weigh the outcomes of the choices they make and put their education first when it comes to their college experience.