TUCKER: If you had to survive Uni, you might drink too... and live to regret it

When it comes to substance abuse, university is a perfect storm. Many students are only recently old enough to purchase alcohol legally.They are free from the watchful gaze of parents and other family members. They have moved out of their community. There is one influence now: peers. Peers who are all in the same boat. And whether they acknowledge it or not, peers who are also facing a whole host of new pressures. Hazardous drinking is defined as more than five standard drinks on one occasion. In one study, 45% of American students reported binge-drinking in the last month. In the UK estimates are at between 63 and 83 percent. As of 2023, in Canada, 79% of students have consumed alcohol in the past 12 months, while 64% consumed it in the past 30 days. Twenty-nine percent used cannabis in the past 30 days and eight percent on a daily basis. Twenty-three percent of these drove within 2 hours.College students drink more than their non-student peers. They drink to make friends. They use stimulants to help cram for exams. They use opioids to sleep and to get high. Ten percent of college students report using illegal drugs (party drugs like cocaine, ecstasy, hallucinogens.)It's not surprising that 45% percent of students report poor mental health.You'd be surprised at some of the pictures students have sent to me over the years. When looking for an extension on an assignment, usually students will send what you'd expect: screenshots of doctors' notes or funeral services bulletins. But now they are sending pics of bottles of drugs lined up on their desks. They are taking them just to cope.Beneath the brave face, these kids are anxious about the new environment and social life. They are trying to connect with new social groups, in and out of class, and with strangers who are also struggling with anxiety, both interpersonal and academic. Many of these groups, even more official student groups, make drinking a key aspect to their activities. Its the glue that binds them. Drinking eases social stress.Students arrive at university with pre-conceived notions of drinking and how it can be used to ease into the transition. They expect it. If you want to make friends, you've gotta drink. Dismissing or pushing back against the new social norms that they're introduced to in frosh week is tough. No one wants to be that 'downer'. The prig.They've heard all the warnings. Over 90% of students are familiar with all the health department messaging on drinking. They know about eating before and during drinking, alternating with non-alcoholic drinks, using a designated driver, and avoiding drinking games. That said, even that one sober student can be seen as left out and simply not fun. As one Australian study on college drinking puts it: “Deviations from the norm, such as abstaining from alcohol puts social capital at risk, leading to social disassociation.” As one student said, “If you don't drink, you are left out.”Student leaders have a significant part to play. The tone they set, the kinds of activities and social actions they promote — how high they are setting the bar, are all important factors in the culture that is being created.This is no pass-time; drinking is a deeply embedded cultural activity. Its pervasive and in many ways ingrained in the very DNA of the college and our larger society. Something deeper is going on, and the drinking culture is simply too pervasive. The issues become not only what friends is one keeping, or one's behaviours etc, but rather what culture a student is immersing themselves into. Students in certain programs tend to drink more than others: say, athletics vs classics. And students who have found a social group where drinking is less — like an on-campus religious group — have a much easier time circumventing the pressure and the outcomes of drinking. Finding that counter-culture though, can be a daunting challenge, especially if students do not have prior social links to these groups.And then there's the young men. Heavy drinking on campus has been linked to a culture of risk-taking. Young men are seeking for a tribe, for identity, and they are far more likely than young women to participate in otherwise embarrassing initiation activities into a given group, and far more likely to drink heavily. All for the sake of group identity. College students are at an age when they are needing to commit to a story, a cause, a mission, a life's purpose. Where else young male students can pursue something that calls them to go out on the edge, to take risks, to push themselves to the limit, is a a question worth asking. Obviously, students are experimenting with the boundaries of their identity as they go off to college. The question is, though: do they have a strong internal sense of identity or do they turn to external resources to inform it, to support it? If a student has the resilience that comes from knowing who they are and where they're from, they are more likely to not have the major swings that are all-too-prevalent in that first year. In-group/out-group norms and expectations, for example, will not phase them as much. So, having a strong sense of identity and what one stands for, and of course keeping an open dialogue with parents about these questions, is all vital for navigating this very new landscape.Especially in first year, students find themselves in a bit of limbo, without any real ultimate responsibility. Without commitment they will flounder. It has been shown that students who have solid commitments either to part-time jobs, to their schoolwork, or to some larger social purpose will drink less. Their time is more occupied and they have a sense of purpose and goals. They have people to answer to. This is one of the reasons that fourth-years drink less than first-years. There is great wisdom in avoiding the pitfalls of “idle hands” when going off to university. (And its worth noting that parents paying the whole bill might not be best for that student!)It's a massive change in a young person's life, and friends and family need to watch for big shifts in behaviour. Signs of withdrawal, such as withdrawal from regular social connections, could be symptoms of a deeper problem. Are they pulling away from activities or friends they used to enjoy? Can they only talk about this new group? Are there any other sudden changes like mood swings, weight changes, and academic decline?And importantly: Who is watching out for them?Many students don't return to college after reading break. Many students look at the the prospect of going back after reading break, sometimes to a lonely existence, as hugely daunting. In a culture that has normalized drinking behaviour, and increasingly other forms of substance use, students need those relationships and commitments that strengthen their resilience and inner resources, along with friends and loved ones who are attentive and engaged in their lives.

TUCKER: If you had to survive Uni, you might drink too... and live to regret it

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