Nov 12, 2016 06:33 AM EST By Emily Marks, UniversityHerald Reporter

It's a popular notion that college and alcohol go together. When people think about college, they think about weekend parties, Greek life and football games - all of which involve alcohol.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, college drinking has become a ritual for students. Majority even see it as an important part of their experience with higher education.

Moreover, a lot of high school students move forward to college with already established drinking habits and the environment inside the campus makes the problem worse. It was found that about 40 percent of college students aged 18 to 22 engaged in binge drinking.

U.S. News reported that the consequences of such drinking habits resulted to thousands of assaults, accidents, injuries, arrests as well as deaths every year. About 1,825 college students aged 18 to 24 die each year from alcohol-related injuries, including DUI, every year.

The publication shared the key motivators that actually seem to encourage binge drinking in the campus. It includes the need to fit in and peer pressure.

•  Freshmen tend to be shy and, as they struggle to meet new friends, they try so hard to cling to the ones that they find. It was noted that nearly 75 percent of college students revealed that they drank alcohol to break the ice and enhance social activity.

•  Sports and alcohol are almost always together. Pre-gaming and tailgating are common practices before a game. This creates a dangerous environment that actually encourages drinking and may lead to serious physical or mental injuries.

•  Another campus tradition that is always related to alcohol is Greek Life. Fraternities and sororities have become synonymous with partying and hard drinking. This would make matters worse for freshmen who join, especially if they already have an established pattern of drinking.

It is important to create a safe culture in colleges. As reports of sexual assault in the campus continue to rise, it is vital that each student becomes an active bystander. This means that they will need to get involved when they hear or see something problematic happening and to proactively prevent these things from happening in the first place through sending messages of violence prevention.

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