College ‘phase’ has its limits as an excuse for potentially harmful behaviors

A guy I know overdosed and died the other night.

Zachary didn’t kill himself, as far as I know. A wild night became a wilder disaster, and while mourning 400 miles away, I couldn’t help but wonder: how very easily could that have been someone closer to my heart? How easily could that have been me?

Obviously, this is a more extreme case at hand than my vino nights with my roommates, but I see quite a bit of abuse from all those around me, myself included.

His death made me wonder: at what point does it become irresponsible to dismiss my and other people’s habits as a temporal result of our age or situation?

Partying is undeniably rooted in college culture, and the price is more far-reaching than the freshman 15 gained from beer (I think I slapped myself at 11), or having to answer to your mom after she finds your pipe during winter break.

The two legal mainstream drugs, alcohol and tobacco, are the two deadliest. As an indulgent youth, such a fact is forgiven in the name of thrill-seeking, with the justification that we are in what is often dubbed the time of our lives. But no matter how temporal we would like to think our behavior is, reality proves otherwise.

A Jan. 10 American Psychological Association article found that binge drinking earlier in life is highly correlated with alcohol abuse later as well. The only thing that changes is the reason for doing so, which evolves from motives like boredom or the quest for fun to the more dangerous need for escape.

So if the experimental phase isn’t really so much of a phase, I find myself questioning how we can begin to take a more accountable approach to our behavior, and how we can come to realize the power of erroneously believing “everyone is doing it.”

Whatever your drug of choice may be, you soon begin to find yourself surrounded by those with similar taste. Yes, it’s an amazing coincidence. And the more it is present, the more it tends to feel normal. The more it feels normal, the less obvious currents of abuse become.

A 2008 UCLA study on the consequences of alcohol abuse among students found that a huge influence in behavior is student perception of drinking as a social norm. There is a positive correlation between overestimating the number of drinks others are having and higher consumption.

So if your circle is actually drinking that much, the consequences are obviously tantamount. It’s a vicious cycle to psychologically find oneself in.

And not to mention, accessibility also aids excessiveness.

In an era of technological and medical sophistication, and more importantly in the microcosm of stressful university life, I could walk into a doctor’s office on Monday complaining about my inability to concentrate and walk out on Tuesday with an Adderall prescription.

But a discussion of faults within America’s medical system is not my point.

My point is that most of us could name several students who do abuse Adderall, and not skip a beat to consider the strangeness in that prevalence.

Zach’s incredibly unfortunate ordeal has made me skip that beat.

Though he was not a UCLA student, I hope that someone in a similar situation at our school would have the resources to combat a problem with abuse.

Unfortunately, it is widely regarded that the AlcoholEdu required upon UCLA entrance is not particularly effective. Nor were UCPD’s pamphlet-distributing efforts to spread awareness during Zero Week of this school year.

Their actions were in hopes of having fewer alcohol-related issues during Bruin Bash, but there was actually a rise in the number of incidents this year.

This has become a personal reminder, hopefully one that does not fade with time, that drugs carry the potential for bottomless psychological and physical damage. None of us are ignorant enough to be unaware of this potential. Why we choose to so often ignore that knowledge, however, is what I have yet to understand.

As I use this time to reflect on my own decision-making, I am hoping that others don’t have to be shocked by such a dreadful accident to do the same ““ that hope and my shock is all I really have to offer.

Have you or someone you know been affected by drug or alcohol abuse? E-mail Moradi at [email protected]. Send general comments to [email protected].