Alcohol Abuse Among Teens and College Students

In today’s society alcohol abuse among teenagers and college students is becoming a serious problem. “The total amount of alcohol consumed by college students each year is four hundred and thirty million gallons enough for every college and university in the United States to fill an Olympic size swimming pool.” (“Facts and Statistics”) Alcohol abuse can be defined as a pattern of excessive alcohol consumption that produces maladaptive behavioral changes in which drinking can become the central activity in an individual’s life. (Kishline 107) Alcoholism is steadily growing among teenagers and resulting in many harmful side effects. To understand these effects you need to ask why they drink, when they drink, are teens who drink more likely to get into or cause trouble and how can this be prevented.
There are several reasons why teens and college students drink. One reason teens drink is because of peer pressure. One hardly ever hears of someone taking their fir...