The general attitude of indifference held by many University students regarding drug and alcohol abuse may require a stronger emphasis toward prevention for the sake of campus safety.
However, such a reaction, widely thought to be shared by students attending any college or university throughout the country, may allude to more diverse problems.
To a degree, the behavior of some students has been quoted as being the direct result of tension brought on by curriculum workload, depression due to loneliness and the daily rigors of campus living.
Yet beyond these surface reasons, the blatant use of alcohol and other substances such as marijuana would suggest the problems lie more with the options or lack thereof to seek an alternative means of resolving personal issues.
Admittedly, many students think nothing of surrendering to peer pressure when in social situations where indulging in alcohol or other addictive substances is expected.
Once entering college, it almost becomes a general expectation for most students to begin experimenting with f alcohol. This sort of attitude is reinforced by TV programs and movies that nearly always portray the ever popular unbridled, consequence-free party aspect potentially offered by the college experience.
Most students likely attribute their use of these substances to frivolous motives, despite the various consequences such as dependence, addiction, arrest or expulsion.
There are those who may even attempt to defend their exploitation, claiming they are driven by certain ideological reasons.
Those of the artistic persuasion who wish to reach a deeper level of expression may support the use of mind-altering drugs, while others may practice their use for religious reasons, such as Rastafarians. And there may very well be athletes who engage in drug use to relieve pain.
Excuses of merely indulging for pleasure’s sake could suggest problems such as low confidence and self-esteem, compulsive behavior and other anti-social conduct.
In response, Florida A&M, takes measures to ensure that such actions, no matter how unavoidable, are kept to a minimum so as to prevent widespread abuse.
But the exploitation of drugs and alcohol might be better circumvented if alternate means of resolving college-related stress were made readily available to students.
A greater cause for the University to combat college-related stress could be to emphasize the importance of maintaining a safe, healthy campus and the upstanding reputation of a prestigious HBCU.
Reginald Alceus is a sophomore newspaper journalism student from Springhill. He can be reached at realceus@hotmail.com.