The Dangers of Binge Drinking in Frats and Sororities

A lot of graduated Greek life members have fond memories of their fraternity or sorority days. People from San Diego to the East Coast often reminisce about their days in college and the lifelong bonds they made in their respective frat or sorority. Truthfully, these kinds of social gatherings can be great for making friends and creating lasting memories. 

However, on the flipside, fraternities and sororities are also known for partying and binge drinking. Even though these social groups do not have bad intentions, people can easily end up in alcohol treatment centers if they are not careful.

Being involved in a fraternity or sorority can be a double-edged sword. As previously stated, being a member allows students to connect with others and make friends, but it also increases peer pressure to become involved in drinking or drugs. People involved in the collegiate Greek life in San Diego and nationwide are highly vulnerable to the negative consequences of drinking, and they are more likely to check into alcohol treatment centers due to such high exposure.

Frats and sororities are big on initiation ceremonies. The Addiction Center website says that about 55 percent of students who join frats and sororities, as well as sports teams or clubs in San Diego and nationwide, face some kind of hazing. As fun as initiations may be, they often involve some kind of drinking game or ritual that can easily get out of hand and become fatal. 

While the leaders of frats and sororities are typically older, more experienced upperclassmen, they are still very young and at risk for using poor judgment. Even though they are considered “leaders”, frats and sororities can be dangerous because there is no adult supervision. Youngsters typically come to college with little-to-none drinking experience, so they are at risk for jumping into drinking too quickly and ending up in local alcohol treatment centers.

Even though drinking is a common activity among college students in San Diego and around the world, a study shows that students involved in frats and sororities are more likely to binge drink. A study conducted by Harvard University reveals that four out of five fraternity and sorority members are binge drinkers, while only two out of five regular college students are binge drinkers. Suffice it to say, those in frats and sororities have a higher probability of being admitted alcohol treatment centers if they are not careful. 

Ian Francis is a health writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Miramar Recovery Center.