Sociology Essay: Addressing Addiction Vulnerability in Colleges

This essay discusses the unique stressors and pressures faced by young adults and adolescents in colleges, leading to vulnerability towards substance abuse. Factors such as mood regulation, impulse control, tension reduction, mood enhancement, and social motives contribute to this vulnerability. Influenced by social pressures, college students are likely to engage in risky behaviors like alcoholism, drug addiction, and smoking. Non-traditional colleges with evening and night classes may see higher rates of such behaviors. The essay emphasizes the importance of universities taking strict measures against addiction, including reducing alcohol availability, promoting sobriety, enforcing existing laws, and implementing penalties. The essay references research supporting these points and suggests colleges must actively combat addiction issues among students. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
Sociology
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SOCIOLOGY
In my personal opinion I believe that young adults and adolescents in the colleges
faces some of the unique range of stressors and pressures in their lives. Induced by not so
fully developed brain which is responsible for the mood regulation and the impulse control,
these age group of college goers are prone towards substance abuse. Some of the possible
reasons behind their vulnerability towards addiction include three of the major factors. These
are tension reduction , enhancement of their mood and their social motives (Spear, 2015).
Mostly influenced by the social pressures the college goers are more likely to get engaged in
risk related natures or behaviours that includes alcoholism, drug addiction, smoking cigarette
and use of prescription drugs in their college going days. As per the research study, students
of mostly the non traditional colleges are prone towards the addiction of the drugs
irrespective of the background and details. In case of the non traditional colleges where there
exist evening and night classes with no age barriers, the students tend to engage in these illicit
behaviour more rampantly.
It is important for the universities and the colleges to take strict steps against the
practise of the addiction among the students and combat the issue effectively (Zamboanga et
al., 2016). They should reduce the availability of alcohol near the campus, emphasize on a
positive culture of sobriety, strict some of the enforced existing set of laws and rules within
the campus and include penalties for the offenders.

2SOCIOLOGY
Reference
Spear, L. P. (2015). Adolescent alcohol exposure: are there separable vulnerable periods
within adolescence?. Physiology & behavior, 148, 122-130.
Zamboanga, B. L., Tomaso, C. C., Cloutier, R. M., Blumenthal, H., Kenney, S. R., & Borsari,
B. (2016). Drinking games participation among high school and incoming college
students: A narrative review. Journal of addictions nursing, 27(1), 24.