Alcohol, Nightclubs, and College Students: A Lethal Cocktail

Drugs and alcohol are the most commonviolent acts against young women after a night
substances abused by teenagers. Alcoholism, alsoon the town. An examination of recent crime
know as alcohol dependence, has symptoms suchstatistics shows that New York City is at its
as craving, loss of control, loss of memory,safest in recent memory. However, the discovery
physical dependence, and increasing tolerance.of another dead student suggests that it is not
Approximately, 10 million current drinkers arevery safe for young women drinking in nightclubs
under the age of 21, about 4 million are bingeand bars late at night.This latest victim of New
drinkers; including 2 million who are heavy drinkersYork City night life is Jennifer Moore, 18-year old,
all of them are between the ages of 16-21 yearsof Harrington Park, New Jersey. Jennifer Moore
old.One in three college students now drinks solelywas murdered just five months after a female
to get drunk. About 30% of women in collegegraduate student went missing after leaving a
reported poor grades with the increased use ofpopular bar in SoHo. The student, Imette St.
alcohol and drugs, and 60% of college womenGuillen 24, had been drinking alone, in a bar called
diagnosed with a sexually transmitted diseasethe Falls, until closing time. Her naked body was
contacted while they were drunk.The absence ofdiscovered the next day wrapped in a quilt in a
ongoing oversight by parents and caretakersswampy area near Belt Parkway in Brooklyn New
offers college students the freedom to makesYork. Darryl Littlejohn 41, a bouncer employed at
choices, develop personality, and to engage inthe Falls a career criminal, had been charged with
social experiment. These are all natural andthe murder. Draymond Coleman, 34, another
necessary path to adulthood. However, the roadcareer criminal, and a pimp is accused of beating
to adulthood also create an environment that isand strangling Jennifer Moore to death inside a
susceptible to crime and victimization. Which mayWeekhawken hotel. Her body was found in a
include opportunity for drug and alcohol abuse,trash bin in a parking lot, in a squalid area in New
sexual assault, and hate crimes all common onJersey across the Hudson River, West New
today's college campuses and the surroundingYork.Further research and we find other cases of
communities.Statistics that support thesimilar circumstances involving alcohol and the
wide-spread use and abuse of alcohol bymurder of young women. Last October, Tabitha
teenagers and college students are readilyPerez, a 24 year old saleswoman from the
available. This is also true for alcohol-related crimesBronx, was shot and killed outside the Viva a bar
and anti-social behaviors on college campusesin upper Manhattan. In April, a 21- year-old woman
across the nation. However, statistics on crimesfrom Newark, New Jersey, Jessica Martinez, was
against college students, especially women, offstruck by a car while crossing the West Side
campus are not so available. In many large urbanHighway after leaving a nearby nightclub where
cities bars and nightclubs are increasing at a veryshe had been drinking. Another New Jersey
rapid pace; and their economic survival dependscollege student, Mark Fisher, 19, was killed in 2003
successfully reaching out to the younger patrons,after a night of partying in Manhattan and
including college students. These establishmentsBrooklyn, ending with him alone among strangers,
act as a magnet for many college students whotwo of whom were convicted in the robbery and
find them more attracted than the traditionalmurder.According to recent studies, New York
college hing-out. The problem is that many ofCity has been under the spotlight due to a sharp
these nightspots are hunting grounds forincrease in bars and nightclubs, but a greater
hard-core criminals, pimps and predators seekingnumber of homicides occur in other boroughs.
susceptible and available victims, especially thoseShootings on Saturday nights outside nightclubs in
under the influence of alcohol.A recent studyless affluent neighborhoods in Queens, Brooklyn,
showed that intoxicated people are moreand the Bronx is a regular occurrence.Andrew
vulnerable to violent crime because they exhibitKarmen, a sociology professor at John Jay College
more risk-taking behaviors. For example, they areof Criminal Justice, said that "the drug most
more likely to go out alone at night, visit placesimplicated with violence is alcohol." Being under the
where violence is most likely to occur, andinfluence of alcohol has been shown numerous
intoxicated individuals have impaired cognitivetimes to raise the risk of being either a victim or
problem-solving abilities. In other words, thesean offender.Dr. William Smith is a psychologist and
individuals will go places and things that they soberpersonal consultant with over 30 years
peers would not do; or they would not do whenexperience working with groups and individuals. Dr.
sober.While doing the research for this article, theSmith had many successes working, online, with
local television news station announced that theAdult Children of Alcoholic, Survivors of Incest,
police had recover the body of the collegeand other Sexual Trauma, Relationship
student who was reported missing, three daysProblems...Including all forms of quality of life
ago after a night of drinking at a popular Newissues. If you have a very personal issue that you
York City nightclub. In the past few years Newfeel professional consultation is needed...Dr.
York City seems to have more than its share of