Youths in campus are subjected to numerous problems that affect their social, economic and academic lives. One of the biggest challenges that affects this group of people is alcohol and substance abuse. The prevalence of alcohol and substance use among the students is very high because of the numerous factors that [redispose them to these substances. The use of alcohol and substances in the campuses has been increasing progressively over the years (Haines, 1996). The progressive nature of the predisposing factors is one of the most common factors that has led to the escalation of the numbers of the campus youths who are involved in the drug and substance abuse challenge.
The biggest predisposing factor that motivates the increased numbers of the youth in campus engaged in drug and substance abuse is the misconception of ideas in the campus environments. There are various dynamics that govern the socialization processes in the campus. One of the biggest agents of socialization is peer pressure. Peer pressure is a very powerful tool because it determines the manner in which people interact and form various social skills and alignments (Berkowitz, 2005). Most of the youths who indulge in alcohol and substance abuse are influenced by their colleagues because of peer pressure. This is because the lack of information among the youths increases the level of their ignorance and they are easily trapped by these engagements. This ignorance makes most of the youth to change the behavior to adopt the drinking habits in their lifestyle.
One of the effects of drinking among the youths in campus is the high levels of addiction (Berkowitz, 2005). This is because most of the youths cannot have sufficient control over their drinking behaviors once they are into it. Too much taking of alcohol and abuse of the substances is very detrimental to the health of the victims. This is because it is associated with chronic health conditions like diabetes and cardiac complications. These habits can also affects the functioning of the liver and this can cause high a lot of risks on the victim. Addiction to alcohol and the substances can also cause high levels of stress and depression. This can affect the emotional and cognitive abilities of the victims and tis can affect their social and academic lives (Haines, 1996). In order to control and mitigate the use of these substances, it is important that the youths who are victims acquire the most appropriate interventions that can assist in coping with voiding and regulating the use of alcohol and other substances.
One of the most practical and realistic ways through which the drinking can be managed and curbed in among the students is through clearing the misconceptions associated with the drinking norms. The students should be made to understand all the concerns associated with the drinking of alcohol and how to manage peer pressure. The college administration and the parents together with the community should all put their efforts in creating awareness among the youths to avoid excessive engagement in alcohol and substance use. This can give the youths a framework on which they can manage the drinking misconceptions and misplaced ideologies that exist in the university environment (Berkowitz, 2005).
For the students who are already addicted in the use of drugs and substances, it is important that they undergo strategic rehabilitation procedures that can assist them in overcoming the challenges associated with their habits (Haines, 1996). The rehabilitation programs should be customized to the specific needs of the victims because of the differences in the cultural and social norms among the different social classes of students. These actions can assist in altering the beliefs and values of the victims and assist in enhancing the quality of their lives.
- Berkowitz, A. D. (2005). An overview of the social norms approach. In L. C. Lederman and L. P. Stewart (Eds.), changing the culture of college drinking (pp. 193-215). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, Inc. available at http://www.alanberkowitz.com
- Haines, M. P. (1996). A social norms approach to preventing binge drinking at colleges and universities. Newton, MA: The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention. Available at http://www.socialnormsresources.org
