"Me and my friends were all sitting in a circle playing the drinking game power hour, but instead of drinking a beer every minute for an hour we all took a shot every five minutes. Being the sneaky guy that I am, I took a few extra shots in between. By the end of the two hours we played, I must have at least taken twenty shots. That was the most I have ever drank in one sitting," said Hector Molina, a student at Penn State Berks.
Binge drinking, defined as the consumption of five or more drinks in a row on at least one occasion, is a widespread phenomenon on most college campuses. In a survey of students at 140 colleges by researchers from the Harvard University School of Public Health, 44% reported binge drinking (five or more drinks in a row for men, four or more for women during the past two weeks). Half of all males binged, compared with 39% of females. The study classified 19% of all students as "frequent binge drinkers" who binge three or more times in two weeks (23% of men and 17% of women). At almost one-third of the colleges surveyed, more than half of students reported binge drinking. This problem does not only interferes with the mission of a higher education but also carries with it serious risks of disease, injury, and death. .
There are a number of different causes behind the high rate of binge drinking on college campuses. The freedom of being away from home for the first time, the insecurity of a new social setting, and the stress put on students in their classes all play a huge role in out of control, excessive drinking. .
The root of the problem lies in the fact that society and our university accepts binge drinking as common and normal. In fact, many associate binge drinking with a college social life. Students give in to peers because doing so fulfills a psychological social need (Hamilton, 420). Doing what the majority does, in this case binge drink, makes students feel accepted and fulfills their social need.