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Bad Habits |
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College is the first time a lot of students are away from their parents. If that's the case with you, you'll realize why I say that this newfound freedom can cause problems. Because of all of this freedom you need to learn how to make your own decisions and stand up for what you believe is right. A lot of bad habits that people pick up in college are matters of choice and peer pressure. You don't have to cave in under the idea that doing something stupid is "normal." Here are the facts about four bad habits that many people pick up in college.
Alcohol
With the percentage of women who drink to get drunk tripling in the last 15 years, and white college men drinking an average of nine drinks per week you can see why alcohol abuse is a growing concern. Student drinking is the number one health problem on campuses nationwide. It is also closely associated with your grades. Alcohol has been traced to missed classes and lower GPAs with alcohol abuse being a factor in around 41 percent of all academic problems.* And its something that doesn't just affect those who choose to participate in it. Alcohol has been traced to car accidents, all manner of criminal activity, sex crimes, and suicides. Our best advice is, "just say no." That slogan can be applied to much more than drugs and will save you a lot of heartache. Prevention and Help Like most things, the best way to prevent forming a habit is to never start doing drugs in the first place. If you already have a drug problem, get help before your problem gets worse. Contact a school health care practitioner or a local Narcotics Anonymous program, or call the National Institute on Drug Abuse Hotline at 800-662-HELP, the National Cocaine Hotline at 800-COCAINE or a local community hotline. You can get involved and help organize activities and resources for drug-free students on your campus. Students for a Drug Free America (SDFA) recruits students to start campus chapters. SDFA can be contacted by calling 615/832-0054 or sending email to sdfa@sdfa.org. Caffeine
Coffee and other caffeinated drinks have consequences even if the hazards of drinking them aren't as clear-cut as drugs and alcohol. Caffeine is known as a diuretic, in other words, it increases the volume of urine produced by the body. Because your whole system is sped up, your body doesn't get a chance to receive the benefits of any vitamins or other nutrients you have eaten. It is widely accepted that caffeine is addictive, and withdrawal symptoms can include headache, nausea, drowsiness, depression and reduced attention span. So once your "hooked" on coffee for instance you will get even more tired than you normally would before starting to drink coffee. It will take more coffee to get you feeling good again. If you aren't already hooked on coffee then you'd be wise to not start. If you're already hooked on caffeine, try limiting yourself to drinking less than two cups a day. Another way to limit your caffeine intake is to switch to decaffeinated coffee, tea and soft drinks. Next time you're tired of studying just go to sleep. Sleep has been proven to help you absorb information you have been reviewing. And next time, begin studying a little earlier for that test, write that paper a little bit sooner, don't procrastinate.
According to statistics released by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, approximately one-third of college students have used marijuana in the past year, 5.6 percent have used cocaine in the past year, 4.3 percent used LSD, and a combined total of 3.3 percent used heroin and/or opiates. What should this mean to you? It means that two-thirds of college students didn't use marijuana in the past year, 94.4 percent haven't used cocaine in the past year, 95.7 percent haven't used LSD, and a combined total of 96.7 percent haven't used heroin and/or opiates. What that really means is that you can't use the excuse "everyone" else is doing it. Or allow yourself to be swayed by peer pressure. If a vast majority of college students don't do drugs, why should you? And even if they did drugs are still dangerous, addictive, expensive and illegal. Prevention and Help Like most things, the best way to prevent forming a habit is to never start doing drugs in the first place. If you already have a drug problem, get help before your problem gets worse. Contact a school health care practitioner or a local Narcotics Anonymous program, or call the National Institute on Drug Abuse Hotline at 800-662-HELP, the National Cocaine Hotline at 800-COCAINE or a local community hotline. You can get involved and help organize activities and resources for drug-free students on your campus. Students for a Drug Free America (SDFA) recruits students to start campus chapters. SDFA can be contacted by calling 615/832-0054 or sending email to sdfa@sdfa.org. Smoking
Smoking is an addiction. Tobacco contains nicotine, a drug that is addictive. Once you start smoking, it is very hard, but not impossible, to quit. Smoking is responsible for about 30 percent of all cancer deaths in the United States annually. It increases the risk of heart attack and stroke and has also been associated with osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease that affects as many as 25 to 30 million Americans, killing more than 20 percent of them every year. According to a report issued in September 1994, about half of the smokers who began when they were teenagers will eventually die from it, probably prematurely in middle age, cutting 20 to 25 years from their life expectancies. Coolness and Other Myths * Most teenagers start smoking because they think it is cool. The following are a few other smoking myths:
Approximately 30 percent of 18 to 25 year olds in the United States smoke. If you are one of them, here are some of the benefits of quitting:
For more information about kicking the smoking habit, call 1-800-4-CANCER. * Courtesy: Center for Substance Abuse Prevention | ||
If
you think that life can be one big party after high school, think again. The
truth is alcohol has consequences, and big ones at that. While some students
think that alcohol, along
with drugs, cigarettes, coffee and other stimulants "help" them deal with the pressures of life, the truth is they're really
hurting, not helping the situation. Instead of just facing up to pressure and
going to others for help they rely on escaping their pressures. Alcohol has long
been the drug of choice among college students in the United States. It's an
expensive habit, according to the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, college
students spend approximately $4.2 billion annually to purchase: 430 million
gallons of alcoholic beverages, including over four billion cans of beer.
Most
people don't start drinking coffee until they graduate from high school. Many
use coffee to help them stay awake during late nights of studying or early
morning classes. Others begin drinking soda in greater amounts after high
school. Sure, these drinks may help you wake up and get going for the day but,
at what cost?
Drugs
To deal with the pressures of studying and socializing, many students take up
smoking.
