The simplest answer to this is they most obvious, it’s because they can.

Abusing alcohol is easy to do. Few immediate penalties for excessive drinking, repeat offenders not being disciplined, parents not being told about their children’s drinking activities, students getting mixed messages from the college administration about alcohol, students having seen their parents drinking alcohol in an careless manner, students not being educated about the long-term harmful consequences of alcohol abuse, there being few alcohol-free social and leisure activities that are eye-catching to students, minors or inebriated students being served alcoholic beverages by the local drinking establishments, and the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities not being monitored all lead to drinking and excessive drinking becoming just one more drink away.

What Draws Students to Abuse Alcohol? When peer pressure or influence is added to the equation, when it is disregarded that drinking alcohol temporarily removes a person from his or her problems, when ignoring the belief or perception that drinking alcohol makes it easier to socialize with potential dating or sexual partners, when it is so acceptable to engage in activities that emphasize the drinking of alcohol, when the “good feelings” or the “fun” of getting an alcohol high or buzz are not considered, and when the party atmosphere at college is expected by students–it becomes more clear regarding what causes college students to abuse alcohol.

Education is not enough. While drug and alcohol abuse prevention is the first step, education alone is not the only answer that an be implemented in the war against college drug and alcohol abuse. But what are some of the other means by which to get the message about self-destructive behaviors?

We must employ both proactive and reactive measures. Many proactive and reactive steps have been put in place at many colleges and universities that have lessened the availability, acceptability, and irresponsibility of alcohol use on and off campus. The result is this is a noticeable if not significant decrease in alcohol related issues started by students.

What are some of these measures in place? Establishing immediate consequences for excessive drinking, disciplining repeat alcohol abuse offenders, notifying parents about their children’s drinking activities, eliminating mixed messages by college administrators about alcohol (for instance, removing alcohol advertisements from tadiums and from sports brochures), informing students about the long-tern negative consequences of alcohol abuse, increasing alcohol-free social and recreational activities that are attractive to students, having college administrators talk to the owners of local drinking establishments so that minors and/or intoxicated students are not served alcohol, and monitoring the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities. All of these have worked toward the goal of our campuses being free from alcohol abuse.

While medical intervention and treatment are beneficial, they are not enough on their own. The proactive and reactive measures now being enforced are needed along with education and possible medical treatments. No matter if modern medicine provides a “cure” for addiction and makes it available to everyone, there will be those to decide to ignore the help available for whatever reasoning. They will continue to destroy their own health and bury themselves in alcohol and/or drug abuse,