College drinking habits revealed: Trading anxiety for addiction in Europe

With the start of the new school year, students across Europe are returning to campus and resuming their old habits: binge drinking. 

But this year, they face a new threat: a virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. 

The virus has already claimed several victims in France and Switzerland, but experts say it could spread even further this fall due to tighter travel restrictions between European countries as a result of the Brexit negotiations. 

While most universities have stepped up their efforts to educate students on how to avoid getting sick or spreading the virus (and many schools have canceled classes for the next month), some students have decided not to wait: 

Instead of staying home all day, as they should if they have been exposed to the virus, they go straight into the city, where riskier behavior is desirable (if not necessary).

Bars across Europe are emptying due to fears of the coronavirus

The H1N1 coronavirus, also known as swine flu, is the new kid on the block among viruses. 

It is a cousin of the common cold and has similar symptoms—fever and runny nose—but can be more severe in humans.

The virus causes mild to moderate illness in most infected individuals, but can lead to serious complications in some vulnerable populations, such as young children under five, pregnant women, and people with certain chronic conditions such as asthma or diabetes.

Influenza viruses are transmitted through droplets that are produced when a person with influenza coughs or sneezes nearby. 

You can also become infected by touching an object that has the virus on it and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth (or by drinking contaminated water). 

Influenza viruses can survive on surfaces for up to 24 hours after contact. In general, household members are most likely to become ill through direct contact with infected individuals. 

However, transmission among schoolchildren was documented through coughing without hand hygiene after treating another child’s cough at school.

Drink plenty of fluids (water) regularly throughout the day as soon as you feel thirsty—this will help prevent dehydration due to excessive fluid loss through sweating, etc., which could make you sick faster than usual!

Students only drink in their shared apartments, say local authorities

In the past, when students drank, they often did so in public places—in bars or restaurants. 

But now this trend has changed dramatically. 

Drinking culture at European universities has changed so much in recent years that local authorities say students now only drink in their shared apartments.

“It’s not like it used to be,” says Frank P., a spokesperson for the city administration of Antwerp in Belgium. “Today’s students are afraid of being caught by the police when they walk home drunk.”

Students are most at risk of drinking themselves to death

University has always been a breeding ground for alcohol consumption, but now it seems that students are at risk of drinking themselves to death.

In a recent study conducted by University College London (UCL) and published in The Lancet, researchers found that students are at higher risk of alcohol-related deaths than the general population. 

Their analysis was based on data from UK-funded surveys conducted between 1994 and 2014, involving nearly 100,000 people aged 16 to 34 (7% of whom were non-white).

The data from these surveys showed that men who drank more than three drinks per day or seven drinks per week were more likely to die prematurely than those who consumed less alcohol. 

Women in this group also had an increased risk; however, their overall mortality rate was lower than that of men because they had fewer underlying conditions associated with heavy alcohol consumption.

In Nantes, 810 fines were issued last month for violations of house rules, most of them for house parties.

But when the police conduct a house search, they usually don’t find wild parties, but discover that the students are drinking themselves to death every night. 

The city of Nantes has banned house parties after the coronavirus spread in France. 

The virus, which can lead to fatal lung infection and pneumonia, is transmitted through coughing or sneezing. 

Since April, 33 people have died from the virus in France and over 200 have been infected.

But the ban did not stop students from drinking, only from partying at home. 

And it’s not just in Nantes that young people are staying away from house parties: a recent survey found that 80 percent of French high school students no longer go out at night for fear of contracting the disease. 

The students interviewed by La Croix said they would rather spend quiet nights at home with their friends than risk getting sick in the city.

Physician and toxicologist at Nantes University Hospital

“It’s as if they’re trying to forget about the virus by drowning their fears in alcohol,” says Alexandre Langlois, emergency physician and toxicologist at Nantes University Hospital.

This fall, we have seen an increase in calls related to overdoses. Sometimes this is because some students replace food with alcohol after eating very little all day, but sometimes it is also because they take a shot of alcohol every time they see their friends on Facetime. 

Most of these cases occur when only a small group is together and no one else can intervene.”

In the past, students were known to get drunk to forget their worries. 

But today’s students are trying something new: they are replacing food with alcohol and drinking more when they are alone.

“It’s as if they’re trying to forget about the virus by drowning their fears in alcohol,” says Alexandre Langlois, emergency physician and toxicologist at Nantes University Hospital. 

This fall, we have seen an increase in calls related to overdoses. 

Sometimes it’s because some students replace food with alcohol after eating very little all day, but sometimes it’s because they take a shot of alcohol every time they see their friends on Facetime.

Henri Menager-Lemaître, a sociologist specializing in youth cultures at Pierre and Marie Curie University, believes that this behavior is the result of isolation. 

“They want to feel close to those who are not infected,” he explains. “For them, it’s much easier than interacting with people who are actually suffering from the coronavirus.”

Conclusion

While many students are eager to advance their careers, they may be surprised by the unexpected dangers associated with alcohol consumption in college. 

Although excessive alcohol consumption is often seen as a rite of passage for students, it can lead to serious health problems and even death. 

Parents and educators must talk to young people about the risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption before they start school so that they are prepared for what they might encounter.