Drinking and college go hand-in-hand, and although drinking alcohol is illegal for most college students in the U.S., about four out of five college students admit to it. What’s more, about 90 percent of drinking done under the age of 21 is classified as binge drinking. However, the repercussions of this behavior could last far longer than the hangover.

First, college drinking is detrimental to a student’s health. According to information from 12 Keys Rehabilitation Center, more than 600,000 students receive unintentional injuries while intoxicated, and while these can make for funny stories, in other cases, these injuries can be serious. In fact, about 1,825 college students die every year from alcohol-related injuries and accidents.

Read: PTSD Sufferers Prone To Heavy Drinking In College: The Vicious Cycle Of The 9%

College drinking isn’t just dangerous for the student; it’s dangerous for everyone around them. According to 12 Keys, about 690,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by other drunk students, and more than 97,000 people in this same age demographic have been victims of alcohol-related rape.

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Alcohol can lead to long-term health consequences. Photo Courtesy of Pixabay

Drinking is also bad for your mental health, and 1.2 to 1.5 percent of students admitted that they tried to commit suicide in the past year while under the influence. According to some studies, the link between college drinking and mental illnesses may be closely tied. According to one report, students who abuse alcohol may be more susceptible to developing post-traumatic-stress disorder later in life.

If body harm isn’t enough to get you to slow down on the college drinking, maybe the effect that alcohol has on your grades could do it. 12 Keys says that about a quarter of students report that their drinking habits have caused them to miss class, fall behind in a course, perform poorly on an exam or paper, or receive a lower grade or mark.

How Much Do College Students Drink?

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See Also:

College Students’ Alcohol Consumption Changes Throughout The Year: The Peaks Of Binge Drinking

Modest Alcohol Consumption Tied To DNA Damage In College Kids