The Normalization of Addiction in College

Becca Boynton | February 2, 2023


[Content Warning: addiction, death, drug abuse]

Imagine the standard culture of the American college. A guise of abundant laughter, soft air from the liberation of parental oversight and geriatric basement floors sticky from spilled jungle juice and crud from the soles of hundreds of shoes. 

College is widely accepted as an exploration period in one’s life, entitling young individuals to discover their authenticity and individualism without the taut strings of guardians. However, with an absence of awareness and an overly eager desire for indulgence, addiction has become extremely prevalent among college students. 

Substances have become more accessible, desirable and romanticized within Western culture. Euphoria, one of the most popular television series amongst college students that garnered 16.3 million views during its second season, glorifies the torment of drug abuse and makes young people desire what the characters have. The neon-tinted sets and glistening, glittery makeup on attractive actors allows the audience to forget the show’s message and want the destructive but alluring lives of the characters they idolize. 

While shows like Euphoria attempt to dissuade their audience from emulating the show, their aesthetic props and visually appealing scenes of overdoses do not show the real side of addiction. 43% of all 19 to 28-year-olds are drug abusers. The real lives of individuals affected by addiction are not as glamorous as television makes them out to be. 

Fraternities and sororities have become the backbone of Western college culture. These groups hold entrance into a life foreign to one’s own. They are exclusive and deluxe with limitless access to parties. The romanticization of substance use among college-aged individuals can largely be attributed to the exclusivity and therefore highly desired culture of Greek life.

Originally formed as a secret society for affluent nobles, fraternities are historically known for being exclusive with initiations known as hazing. Since 1970, there has been at least one hazing-related death on a college campus each year, with 82% percent of deaths from hazing involving alcohol. 

Hazing is not exclusively utilized in Greek life. Traditions involving harmful and sometimes deadly hazing rituals are prevalent on college campuses nationwide. In 2021, a Lyon College baseball player died from a hazing initiation party. According to the National Study of Student Hazing survey, 55% of students involved in clubs or activities other than Greek life had also experienced some form of hazing.

Such normalization of binge drinking and substances diminishes understanding of the hazards and struggles of addiction. Activities such as hazing and binge drinking at parties have real-life consequences beyond being caught by an administrator.

At least 2,000 college students die from alcohol-related injuries annually. The brain does not stop forming until the mid to late twenties, leaving the adolescent brain susceptible to disturbances and aberrations from abusing illicit substances. 

Addiction is not an aesthetic trait. Addiction is a real illness taking the lives of people each day. With the widespread normalization of harmful uses of alcohol and drugs, addiction is only spreading. Yet, the stigma surrounding addiction remains prevalent. 

It’s difficult to quit an addiction. However, dependence on substances can be preventable among young students. People must grow more willing to denormalize the routine of binge-consuming substances within college. 

Resources if you or someone you know is struggling with addiction: 

SAMHSA's National Helpline 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357)

Buncombe County Resources & Information 
Services Provided in North Carolina Aimed for College Students

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