To some students, five drinks in an hour or two doesn't seem like that many. But according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, this is considered binge drinking.

NIAAA defines binge drinking as "a pattern of drinking alcohol...that corresponds to consuming five or more drinks (male), or four or more drinks (female), in about two hours." But for many college students, binge drinking is a weekly occurrence. Whether they head to the bars on Thursday nights or end up at a friend of a friend's party, getting drunk becomes the goal.

John Bureman, alcohol counselor at the Norman Alcohol Information Center, said binge drinking among students is very prevalent.

"I would say it's prevalent from the number of people [the Norman Alcohol Information Center] sees, usually self-referred college students, who talk about that culture of binge drinking and partying," he said.

Many OU students said they started to see their peers drink as early as age 14 or 15. For a lot of students, that was ninth grade. A survey conducted by the NIAAA found that alcohol is the No. 1 drug of choice among children and adolescents.

The report shows that about 2 million kids between the ages of 12 and 20 drank five or more drinks at a time, five or more times per month.

A combination of freedom from parents, a broader social scene and greater access to alcohol all influence this drinking culture in most college towns.

"Being away from parents allows freedom to experiment with new things," said Chelsea Dosser, an OU freshman. "It opens doors for people to see what drinking is all about. They can rebel against what their parents tell them to do."

gateway to socialization

Many social situations involve alcohol, especially in college. While most students said they don't feel like they're pressured into drinking, they often see it happen and want to join in.

Jessica McDaniel, an OU senior, said she thinks students drink to have a good time, socialize and hang out with friends.

"It's a gateway to socialization," McDaniel said.

For some students, alcohol starts out as a way to meet new people or to help them loosen up in a new situation.

Alcohol helps to open up around people you don't know well, said Travis Mizell, psychology senior.

"Drinking increases the number of people you hang out with," McDaniel said. "It broadens your social circle."

Many parties begin with a drinking game. Every college has its own version of the same games, but everyone's rules are a little different. But no matter which rules students play by, it all leads to the same thing: getting drunk.

"When it comes to alcohol and your friends, you want to be the one that can drink the most," said Trey Parham, an OU freshman.

potential for a problem

Bureman said that while it doesn't always happen, social drinking can lead to binge drinking.

"Just because a person drinks alcohol, it doesn't mean they're going to go into binge drinking, it doesn't mean they're going to become dependent on it, but the potential is there," he said.

Bureman said that while there's no solid definition of bing drinking, one factor is time.

If a person spends three to five days drinking, that's considered binge, he said.

Students had their own definitions of binge drinking.

"I think binge drinking is when you go out to get wasted, not just to casually have a beer with friends," McDaniel said. "I mostly see people do it on the weekends or when they know they don't have anything to do the next day."

Parham said he thinks binge drinking is drinking in excess, when people lose their motor skills or drink just to drink.

"It becomes a getting-drunk thing and not just a social thing," Dosser said. "The driving purpose is to get drunk."

Many students said they define binge drinking as something done intentionally.

Even as a freshman, McWhorter said she sees a lot of binge drinking among her peers. She said that in the dorms it's common to hear people say, "Let's get wasted Friday night."

"[Freshmen] drink as much as they do because they can," she said.

Rawdon said he thinks drinking is something everyone should experience, but people should learn how to do it in moderation. He said it took him about a year to learn his limit, but unfortunately, it often takes longer for others.

alcohol use and abuse

Bureman said that although alcoholism is a general term, the Norman Alcohol Information Center looks at whether people abuse alcohol or whether they are dependent on it.

"Pattern of abuse, which after a while, can lead to dependence," he said.

Many students agreed that there is a difference between binge drinking and alcoholism and that there is a definite transition from one to the other.

McDaniel said she thinks it is a disease where people physically cannot stop themselves from drinking.

"Some people are just predisposed, and if you allow yourself to continue, it will get to a point where you can no longer cope without alcohol," she said.

Dosser said she thinks people with alcoholism drink on a daily basis to block out their world because they don't want to deal with certain circumstances in their life.

"An alcoholic is someone who throws away all responsibility to drink," Dosser said. "It becomes an addiction and a stronghold. It's something you can't break free from. It's someone who needs treatment."

risky business

A fight breaks out. A friend gets behind the wheel drunk without even realizing it. Another leaves the party with a complete stranger.

Bureman said a lot of these risky behaviors are associated with alcohol abuse.

"People tend to engage in things they normally wouldn't do," he said. "That part of the brain that has to do with reason and judgment is basically put to sleep. Risk of accidents, risk of suicide and criminal behavior tend to increase."

Alcohol use is associated with many risky behaviors, according to the NIAAA study. Other behaviors include using drugs, fighting and carrying weapons and perpetrating or being the victim of date rape.

"I don't see people being overly violent, but I do see tempers flair," said Haley Nichols, an OU senior. "People fight about relationships and don't have any inhibitions about what they say."

Alcohol use is cited in the NIAAA study as being linked to youthful deaths by drowning, suicide, homicide and most commonly, alcohol-involved motor-vehicle accidents.

taking responsibility

Many universities have strengthened their alcohol education programs, including OU, which has created Think if You Drink, an educational program that seeks to inform students about the dangers of alcohol and high-risk behaviors associated with drinking and to encourage students to take responsibility when they drink.

Still, while programs such as Think if You Drink aim to educate students about their decision, Bureman said peers have a huge impact on college students and their decisions to drink.

"I know that growing up for myself, I would listen to my friend before I would listen to any responsible adult," he said.

Many students agreed that friends and relatives have the biggest impact on responsible decision-making.

"Peers can have a significant role in keeping you safe," said Hunter Veirs, an OU freshman.

He said he has been more proactive in looking for warning signs of alcohol poisoning since the alcohol-related death of Blake Hammontree.

McWhorter said she and her friends have a mutual agreement to not leave a party by themselves or with someone they don't know.

Veirs said he thinks education on how to spot signs of alcoholism should be increased.

Parham agreed and said he thinks universities should increase the amount of education related to helping a friend who abuses alcohol and learning how to stop certain situations from happening.

"People have to look out for each other," Parham said.

Rawdon, whose parents drank in college, said he thinks drinking is an accepted part of the college experience. However, he agreed that the drinking culture on college campuses is created by a universal understanding.

With drinking so prevalent on college campuses, students, as individuals, will ultimately take responsibility for their drinking behavior. Throughout their youth, they will learn their limits and make decisions about their drinking behavior-some good, some not so good-but they will also have to look ahead to what really matters-the consequences.

"Ultimately, it is the person's own responsibility to monitor their own behavior," Bureman said.

-Sara Ganus contributed to this report.
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