There was a day when Louisiana Baptists could feel they had done at least something
to combat the recent sad news from college campuses about student alcohol abuse.
One wonders, however, if Baptists have presented recent generations with the
good sense behind abstaining from alcohol consumption.
There was a day when Louisiana Baptists could feel they had done at least something
to combat the recent sad news from college campuses about student alcohol abuse.
One wonders, however, if Baptists have presented recent generations with the
good sense behind abstaining from alcohol consumption.
Two recently released studies show that college life across the country reflects
the culture of our nation that encourages and promotes consumption of alcoholic
beverages. The studies also reveal the tragedies that often accompany recreational
drinking.
A study commissioned by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
discovered the following occurrences on yearly averages:
*One thousand, four hundred college students between the ages of 18 and 24
die of alcohol-related injuries.
*Half a million students are accidentally injured while under the influence
of alcohol.
*More than 600,000 college students are assaulted by other students who have
been drinking.
*More than 70,000 students are sexually assaulted or date-raped by people who
have been drinking.
*More than 100,000 students say they were too drunk to know if they willingly
had sexual relations.
*Two point one million students drive under the influence of alcohol.
*Thirty-one percent of students qualify for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse and
six percent for alcohol dependence.
*More than 150,000 students report a health problem related to drinking alcohol.
*About 25 percent say they have academic problems stemming from alcohol use.
*Forty percent of students binge drink, or consume at least five drinks in
a row for men and four for women.
*Twenty percent of students say they have binged more than three times in the
last two weeks.
Another study reported in the Harvard School of Public Health reveals there
has been a significant increase in binge drinking at colleges for women. Between
1993 and 2001, students who binge drink at womens colleges grew from 24
to 32 percent, and frequent binge drinkers went up from five to 12 percent.
(These figures were released in an April 12 Baptist Press article.)
The only good news from the reports on alcohol consumption is that students
who drink the least are found at religious schools, two-year institutions, commuter
schools and historically black schools.
The magnitude of problem drinking on our college campuses makes one cringe.
One does not have to wonder why alcohol has become such a problem on college
campuses. Watch any movie or television show that images college students enjoying
life. Watch them, that is, if you can bear the boldface hedonism. The two unabashed
key ingredients are alcohol and sex. The two are glamorized and idealized with
absolutely no mention of negative consequences. The media presents excessive
drinking and sex-at-will with no more moral implications than swimming or biking.
Actually, more caution is presented about swimming and biking.
In far too many cases, the parents of college students have set the example
of consistent alcohol consumption. As one wag said, many parents do not want
to put their beer cans down long enough to talk about the dangers of drinking.
The students see alcohol consumption at home identified with nothing more harmful
or potentially dangerous than drinking ice tea or diet soft drinks.
It is time for Baptists to say again that wanton use and abuse and misuse of
alcohol does have moral implications. Any activity that fuels the kind of statistics
shown above is morally wrong. The best way to handle something with the potentially
destructive power of alcohol is abstinence. Any benefits alcohol consumption
might offer can anyone name someare offset by the potential harm. Period.
Interestingly, in the rest of life, if something harbors potential danger such
as drinking polluted water or walking in a bad neighborhood news releases say,
“Be safe. Stay away.” But with the proven dangers of alcohol consumption,
our society says, “You might want to think about being responsible, if
it doesnt interfere with your fun or the nations economy.”
What is wrong with this picture?