College Students and Drinking
Courtesy of Tom Wilson Counseling Online Classes
Think Safety First
An estimated 599,000 college students suffered alcohol-related injuries nationwide in 2011.
Approximately 1,800 college students die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries each year.
Strive for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Mind
One long island ice tea cocktail has up to 520 calories. That’s the same caloric content as a Quarter-Pounder with cheese from McDonald’s.
Do you think light beer will help you cut back on calories? Think again. Just one 12 oz Bud Light has 110 calories, but most people don’t have just one beer. If you drink five bottles of Bud Light you will consume the same number of calories that are in a small, healthy meal.
Save Your Money
If a student goes out to drink 3 nights per week and has 3 drinks per night, they will spend about $2,000 each semester.
The cost of replacing your lost cell phone is $100-$400.
The cost of missing 1 class due to a hangover can be as high as $200.
The cost of a DUI = $10,000 to $20,000. This depends on where you live.
Adding Up the Hours
How long does it take you to recover from a hangover? How many nights do you regret and wish you could get back?
How else could this time be spent?
How about spending more time doing the things you actually like? You’d be surprised, how much more time you actually have after cutting out a few drinks on your night out.
Maintain Your Image – It Could Affect Your Future
Photos of your night out can and do end up on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more. Your future employer will be looking.
37% of employers admit to using social media to pre-screen job applicants. 34% of these employers have not hired someone because of content they found on social media accounts.
What if your friends captured your night on video camera–would you like the person you see?
Keep People Close
Let’s face it, we’re different people after too many drinks. Don’t let alcohol get in the way of your relationships. One bad night could ruin a relationship or destroy a friendship.
According to one study, friends, roommates, and bystanders reported experiencing the following with students who had drank too much:
-23% had experienced an unwanted sexual advance
-11% had been pushed, hit, or assaulted
-36% had been insulted or humiliated
-16% had property damaged
-71% had sleep or study interrupted
What are you doing or saying that you don’t recall because you were blackout drunk? Have you lost any friends?
Don’t Let Your Grades Suffer
One university found that the median GPA for their first-year students who were treated for a binge-drinking episode was almost a third of a point below that of their class. This put them in the bottom 25 percent of their class.
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