Recent deaths of college students in Iowa have hit home for a lot of people on the issue of college binge drinking. In the past few months there have been multiple drinking related deaths at the University of Iowa, Including one this past weekend involving a freshman at a fraternity formal in the Lake of the Ozarks.
University of Iowa student, Kamil Jackowski from Arlington heights, was found dead at a resort in the Ozarks following a night of partying at a Sigma Chi fraternity formal. In addition to this incident, there have been multiple other deaths due to drinking throughout the 2016-17 school year. Just three weeks ago, on april 10, 2016, an 18 year old freshman named Sean Wu was found dead in his dorm room after a night of drinking.
Following the tragic events involving Jackowski, University of Iowa decided to take some action. Iowa City Press Citizen reported, “Leaders with UI’s Greek community implemented an immediate ban Monday on all fraternity and sorority events with alcohol, according to a statement from UI Fraternity and Sorority Life. They also implemented an immediate and permanent ban on out-of-town formals.”
After announcing the new restrictions, Panhellenic Council President, Anna Long, and Interfraternity Council President, Zach Rubenbauer, stated, “They are an acknowledgement that we must address the pervasive and dangerous alcohol culture that exists within our community.”
These accidents that have occurred throughout the school year have shed light on the problem with the way alcohol is handled and consumed by not only college students, but all young drinkers.
Society has romanticized the idea of getting drunk and partying with friends and because of this, kids are drinking more and more and partying harder and harder. In social settings, kids are choosing hard liquor over beer and with the ultimate goal of getting “blacked out”. Young adult drinking has become part of our culture and is a life threatening issue. According to the Center of Disease control on binge drinking, “About 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.”
The new heights that binge drinking has reached is extremely concerning. The amounts of alcohol being consumed by teenagers and college students are so high that lives are at risk. Kids must realize what they are doing to their bodies and how their drinking can not only affect their own lives, but the people around them as well.
