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      In Part One of the series "Preparing Your Child for College," Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. looked at the issue of sexual assaults on college campuses and how to protect college students from this terrible national epidemic. In Part Two, your Fort Myers personal injury lawyers discuss the disturbing and increasingly common behavior of binge drinking and the terrible consequences it can lead to if not addressed.

    Penn State professor Jeff Hayes and his team at Center for Collegiate Mental Health conducted a large study where they defined binge drinking as consuming 5 or more drinks in a row for men, and 4 or more drinks in a row for women. While regular drinking patterns have remained stable on college campuses, binge drinking has risen sharply over the last few decades. A full 44% of college students are now estimated to engage in binge drinking. In fact, the prevalence of the behavior has led some in the psychiatric community to seek classification of it as "alcohol abuse disorder"--distinct from alcoholism because the behavior and pattern of drinking differs (Time).

    No matter how it is classified, the statistics on the damage caused by binge drinking speak for themselves: 3 million students drive while drunk; 1,850 students die due to alcohol, including car accidents and suicides; 600,000 students are injured while under the influence; 700,000 students are assaulted by someone who is under the influence; and 90% of all campus rapes have alcohol involved, with either the victim and/or the rapist being intoxicated (in some cases the victim being too drunk to legally consent). Note: all statistics are on an annual basis.

    The Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows emerging evidence of the damage to the brains of young adults who engage in binge drinking, not to mention the 88,000 deaths caused by alcohol each year. The common refrain "I can't remember what I did last night" may literally be true: medical studies show that consuming alcohol in the quantities binge drinkers consume affects the still-developing brains of college students, and can hurt their memories--permanently. 

    Faced with the increasing amount of harm caused by binge drinking on college campuses and mounting pressure to curb the injurious behavior, college administrators have implemented new strategies aimed at keeping their students safe (Washington Post). One strategy is a so-called "amnesty" policy, which allows friends to get help for a drunk friend they believe is in danger without getting in trouble themselves. Universities are also requiring alcohol education at freshman orientation and for any student who has committed an alcohol-related infraction. Alcohol-free dances and parties, as well as intramural sporting events are offered as alternatives to bars and fraternity and sorority parties. Additionally, colleges have asked local police forces to put extra police on patrol in student neighborhoods on party nights.

    At Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., we realize that sending a child off to college is never easy, and it is particularly difficult in today's world. If your child has been injured in a car accident, a fall, an assault, or suffered any other harm involving alcohol, contact our Fort Myers personal injury lawyers today.