College Students Who Turn to Drugs, Alcohol Can Have Problems Later

 

In popular culture, learning is not the only thing that takes place at colleges and universities in the United States. From watching movies and television shows, one might think that college students do more partying than actual studying.

But while these stories are aimed at entertaining people, they also reveal a darker side of U.S. higher education. Large numbers of college students drink alcohol or use other drugs. Some even combine the two.

In fact, new research suggests that many students turn to drugs and alcoholic¹ drinks as a way of reducing mental stress and dealing² with other issues. And experts worry that this could lead to problems for them later in life.

Most U.S. colleges and universities offer students some form of mental health services, either at the school or off-campus.

In 2017, the American Psychological Association found that the number of students seeking help at campus counseling centers rose by 30 percent between 2009 and 2015. Yet overall college and university attendance rose only by 5 percent during that period.

Many of the students questioned listed stress, anxiety and depression as their reasons for seeking help.

In order to better understand the issue, the American Addiction³ Centers asked 980 current and former college students how they dealt with stress. The organization released its findings earlier this year.

It found that nearly 60 percent of the students had turned to alcohol as a way of coping with stress at some point. Around 26 percent had used medications like Adderall, which is meant to increase energy levels and focus, without permission from a doctor. And nearly half of the students had combined such drugs with alcohol.

Lawrence Weinstein is chief medical officer at the American Addiction Centers. He says there are many reasons why college students feel stressed, anxious and depressed⁴. They are trying to complete difficult study programs, develop relationships, join social groups and work at part- or even full-time⁵ jobs.

But those are also all issues that every generation of students has faced, Weinstein added. The difference for the current generation is that there is a whole new set of problems for them to deal with on top of the old ones.

This includes the fact that the cost of higher education has risen sharply in recent years, leading to record levels of U.S. student loan debt in 2018. In addition, the admissions process at many colleges and universities has grown increasingly competitive.

“Since there are so many factors that conflict with one another, it could be … more stressful for students to learn to balance the…challenges and excitements in their lives,” Weinstein told VOA.

Yet Simone Lambert argues that the pressures that lead to drug and alcohol abuse may start well before a young person goes to college.

Lambert is president of the American Counseling Association. She suggests that in general, one in five people experience some sort of mental health issue during their life. In some cases, she noted⁶, students just entering college are already dealing with things like stress, anxiety or depression.

Lambert said that most people going to college in the U.S. for the first time are 18 or 19 years old. This is an age at which many people are open to experimentation⁷, including trying substances like drugs and alcohol.

“They’re trying to figure out their identity, their career goals. And just being out on their own without having the supports that they had in their high schools, in their home life, there’s a lot of changes that go on,” she noted. “And unfortunately, substance use is something that is accessible to them at that age that hasn’t been accessible before.”

Lawrence Weinstein points out that the main problem with experimenting with drugs at this age is the long term effect. In the short term, alcohol slows the nervous system and can make a person feel calm. And drugs like Adderall may help a student focus their attention on school work. But the human brain is not fully⁸ developed until a person is well into their twenties.

Substance use and abuse during developmental periods can eventually lead to problems with memory and the ability to experience pleasure, Weinstein added. And it can also lead to continuing dangerous behaviors later in life.

Most campus counseling centers offer programs especially designed to educate students about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. They also try to inform students about healthy ways of dealing with stress, such as getting healthy amounts of exercise and sleep. But Weinstein and Lambert agree the best way for students to avoid problems is through parental⁹ involvement and school administrators¹⁰ shaping campus culture.

Schools must do their best to provide plenty of activities for students outside of classes that do not involve drugs, alcohol or partying, they say. And parents must have open discussions with their children that do not make them afraid to be honest about these issues.

I’m Pete Musto.

And I’m Dorothy Gundy.

Words in This Story

stress – n. a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life and work

campus – n. the area and buildings around a university, college or school

counseling – n. advice and support that is given to people to help them deal with problems and make important decisions

anxiety – n. fear or nervousness about what might happen

focus – n. a main purpose or interest

factor(s) – n. something that helps produce or influence a result

challenge(s) – n. something that is hard to do

excitement(s) – n. a thing or activity that gives a person a feeling of eager enthusiasm and interest

accessible – adj. able to be used or obtained

1 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

2 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

3 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

4 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

5 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 experimentation   

n.实验，试验，实验法

参考例句：

• Many people object to experimentation on animals.许多人反对用动物做实验。
• Study and analysis are likely to be far cheaper than experimentation.研究和分析的费用可能要比实验少得多。

8 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

9 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

10 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城