As fellow college students, we are eager to inform our academic peers about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse in hopes of protecting them from potentially life-threatening situations.

The effects of college students binge drinking:

    More than 1,800 students die every year of alcohol-related causes

    An additional 600,000 are injured while drunk

    Nearly 100,000 become victims of alcohol-influenced sexual assaults

There is also a growing drug abuse problem among college students:

    Between 1993 and 2005, abusing drugs such as heroin and cocaine has increased 52%

    The proportion of students who abuse prescription drugs increased 343% for opiods such as Percocet, Vicodin, and OxyContin

    62% of a group of students with a valid prescription for ADHD medication were diverting it to students without prescriptions

RECOGNIZING ADDICTION

As part of the college community, we have to look out for each other. If you have a friend that you suspect is on the path to drug or alcohol addiction, look out for these signs:

• Poor academic performance/skipping classes

• Drastic changes in weight

• Isolation and withdrawal from friends and activities

• Violent outbursts and agitation

• High-risk sexual behaviors

• Unidentified pill bottles