Alcohol Use

Multiple studies have shown that drinking alcohol impairs cognitive skills. In one study published in the journal Brain and Cognition, 109 university students were recruited to test the effects of alcohol on sustained attention, impulsivity, and verbal memory. It was confirmed that alcohol intoxication may functionally impare cognitive processes mediated by the frontal and temporal brain regions. This study found that moderate and high doses of alcohol significantly impeded performance on measures of sustained attention and immediate verbal memory. In order to address the sometimes frequent patterns of alcohol use among undergraduate students, educational prevention and early intervention of alcohol abuse is important (Magrys & Olmstead, 2014). Read more...

According to Dr. Jason Kilmer from the University of Washington some of the most common ways that drinking affects college students is that they regret their actions while intoxicated, those that already experience anxiety or depression often see worsening of their symptoms, and many students that drink alcohol earn lower GPAs. Dr. Kilmer recommends that students who wish to stop drinking visit campus recovery support services or health and counseling centers for assistance (Washington State Health Care Authority, 2019).