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Rhea Law
Office of the President
4202 E Fowler Ave
Tampa, Fl 33620

Dear President Law,

The student council of the University of South Florida has put together a research summary to
shine a light on the substance-abuse problem plaguing our student body. Through this research,
we have collected factual evidence to not only lay out the problem in detail but also propose a
solution to save countless lives.

We are requesting that you read this proposal and take it with the utmost sincerity when we ask,
what are you willing to do to save students everywhere? Substance abuse among college students
is an ever-growing problem. We as a student council see lives destroyed every day. We are
looking to protect ourselves, our student body, and all surrounding parties that are affected.

We collectively thank you for your time and consideration. We do not take this matter lightly and
believe that you should not either. We believe that we can make a difference but we need your
help in the matter.

Sincerely,

The USF Student Council

usfcouncil@usf.edw
(813)555-5555
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University of South Florida

Drugs? Nah, We Don’t Like Those:

The Effects of Drugs and Party Culture on College Students

John Barreto, Shelby Blackburn, James McCarthy, Parsons Miller, Maxine Seelig
ENC 3250: Professional Writing
Professor Sharon Pinson
7 November 2022
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Table of contents

Abstract…………………………………. 4

Background……………………………… 5

Local Context. ……………………………5

Problems…………………………………..7

Impacted Population……………………… 9

Solution……………………………………10

Implementation…………………………….12

Call to Action………………………………13
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Abstract

The modern college student faces a plethora of challenges coupled with countless

temptations in their life. This combination of high-stress and high-opportunity environments

found on the contemporary campus leads students nowadays to face deeper mental struggles than

ever before, with a party culture that is growing more common day in and day out. As students

come to participate more deeply in party culture, they push off the problems they face to

temporary solutions, often amplifying the problem, and not addressing the root of the problem

itself. These issues being amplified, rather than remedied, have led to deep mental issues among

college students, and a culture that fails to address them. This coupling of deep mental issues,

and a party culture that encourages you to push offset issues and engage deeper in drugs and

alcohol, is a recipe for disaster and must be remedied.

In light of this, we will explore the possible solutions and implementation of said

solutions to the issue. Through social campaigns, both on social media, and through in-person

events, we hope to destigmatize mental health and normalize looking for answers to the issues.

These solutions, while effective, can potentially be costly and high-risk if they do not catch on in

the social sphere. As this essay explores the keys, we will look further into the implementation of

the answers, their cost and benefits, and an overall call to action looking to remedy this issue

within the modern campus.

Background

Mental health plays a part in every person, regardless of their age, race, religion, or more,

on an emotional, psychological, and social level. These mental health issues can affect how

people think, feel, and act. While these issues can be managed with the right help and care, there
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is an unfortunate amount of studies to show that most are not taking these measures. We can see

that students are a large group of people with many mental health issues who are not properly

coping. Mental health issues in students' lives vary from depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder,

eating disorders, disruptive behavior, or reclusive behavior. These issues may arise from a

plethora of different stressors. These stressors often include issues from topics such as

business/employment, school, family, or financial concerns (The Oracle, 2019).

There is an unfortunate amount of statistics that show that a large number of students try

to cope with stress in negative ways. The most extreme of these ways include self-harm or even

suicide. The types of self-harm may range from physically harming themselves to making

reckless decisions with types of substances. These decisions can lead to the use of substances

which can further cause a rise in the number of sexual misconduct or assault, participating in

dangerous activities, or getting into altercations that may lead to harm, both physical and mental.

Suicide is the current leading cause of death among college students and we do not see any

information that would lead to this trend decreasing in the coming years (Welsh, 2019). If action

is not taken, we will continue to lose bright minds to a tragic yet fixable issue.

Local Context

USF fraternities have almost been completely removed from the Tampa campus due to

their party habits and engaging in dangerous activities. However, this may have been a poor

choice because they were moved to surrounding apartments where there is little to no supervision

of their actions. The repercussions of sexual assault and underage drinking within fraternities

have historically been a slap on the wrist at USF (Ojdanic, 2020). Recent studies show, “over

60% of full-time college students have consumed alcohol, and a staggering 39% report engaging
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in binge drinking,” (Welsh, 2019). With the increase in substance abuse among college students

within the last decade, it could be argued that the fostering of party culture directly contributes to

violence and sexual assault cases. With USF doing minimal damage control and very little to

combat these occurrences, greek life is an incubator. A study by a University of Michigan Ph.D.

research team confirmed that “binge drinking and marijuana use are most prevalent among male

fraternity residents relative to non-members and non-students,” (McCabe et al, 2018).

Along with USF having disciplinary issues, there are multiple colleges in the Tampa area

that contribute to the issue. The sheer amount of college students scattered around the Tampa

Bay area makes party culture bleed through the bay. The University of Tampa, University of

South Florida, Stetson, University of South Tampa

St.Petersburg, University of South Tampa Sarasota,

and Hillsborough Community College all have bars

within proximity. Many of these establishments

employ young, college-aged people as bartenders,

security guards, bouncers, etc. that are popular

within their social group. That said, they can be

found overserving people they know, allowing

underage friends into the bar, or even giving away free drinks. Culture, stress, freedom, peer

pressure, and easy access all contribute to overconsumption and

substance abuse (Welsh, 2019). For years, the college has been

associated with partying and drinking. This has become the

expectation for many college students.

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We chose to perform our research through a survey to gather real-time data from our

peers. The survey asked students about their consumption habits, including the frequency,

reasoning, and state of mental health. We hypothesized that the results would show an alarming

number of students participating in dangerous activities and substance abuse due to mental stress

(see Fig. 1). The survey concluded that students of all ages struggle with anxiety and/or other

mental health problems due to academic pressure and/or extenuating circumstances (see Fig. 2).

Problems

According to the CDC, mental health, ”Includes our emotional, psychological, and social

well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress,

relate to others, and make healthy choices” (CDC, 2021). Many factors can affect mental health,

especially while in college, where there are many different stresses, anxiety, and desires to fit in.

Many changes occur to young people while they attend college, including being away from

home for extended periods, being away from lifelong friends, as well as challenges to many

views they may hold.

The causes of the ongoing mental health issues and substance abuse at USF can be linked

to a variety of sources. As stated by Welsh, “Culture, stress, freedom, peer pressure, and easy

access all contribute to overconsumption and substance abuse” (Welsh, 2019). Some students

coming into college view it as a place to get away from the control of their parents and enjoy the

freedom they get while in college before getting into the working world. This can lead a lot of

students to feel pressured into going to parties, joining fraternities, and forming destructive

habits. This false perception that college is all about going to crazy parties and abusing

substances can be a very bad mindset that can lead people to form destructive habits and cause
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irreparable damage to their bodies if not stopped. As stated by the National Institute of mental

health, the brain doesn’t stop developing until a person’s mid-to-late twenties, and the last part of

the brain to develop is the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for planning and controlling

impulses (HIMH, 2017). Any damage done to this vital part of the brain can lead to

complications further in life, such as overcoming addictions to drugs and alcohol.

Many college students look towards joining a fraternity or sorority, with the desire to attend

numerous parties and other related events which involve heavy substance use. Many of those

who are accepted into Greek life often live in houses with other members to bond with one

another. While this seems like a great opportunity to make life-long friendships and connections,

it also can harbor a dangerous environment for the abuse of alcohol or drugs, as other members

of the frat or sorority may pressure a person to drink beyond their limit to fit in. This culture can

lead to life-long issues of substance addiction, as,” At age 35, 45% of the residential fraternity

members reported alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms reflecting mild to severe” (McCabe,

2018). This alarming percentage of those who still struggle with substance addiction shows how

dangerous an environment and culture built around partying and drinking can be.

Aside from the pressures of partying and joining fraternities or sororities, students may feel

pressure from their parents to succeed in college or because they’re taking out student loans to

pay for tuition and other expenses. These strains, regardless of their origin, can lead many

students to turn to damaging habits to cope with stress and anxiety, such as drinking, drugs, and

constantly going to parties.

These bad habits are further encouraged by fellow peers, those within frats or sororities, or

one’s feeling of helplessness. Another factor that contributes to the abuse of alcohol and drugs

can also be how easy it can be to acquire a fake I.D, granting underage students access to
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alcohol, drugs, and access to bars and clubs, as well as smaller stores willing to turn a blind eye

to students purchasing alcohol without showing proof of I.D.

Impacted Population

Mental health and substance abuse are huge problems on college campuses, including

USF. The population that is impacted by this are the students, faculty, friends, and family of our

community. It can seem like this issue is personal but in reality, your actions can have a vast

effect on the people you know. Specifically focused on college students “a recent study found

that 37% of college students regularly used an illegal drug or abused alcohol” (Dennington,

2020). College students make up the largest population of drug abusers and the amount of

substance abuse among college students is increasing. One study took a survey on how many

full-time college students drink in an average month. According to the National Survey on Drug

Use and Health, “54.9% of full-time college students between the ages of 18 and 22 drank

alcohol in the past month, which is over 10% higher than non-college students of the same age.”

With the number of college students drinking alcohol, there are many negative impacts on others.

These negative impacts include physical injury and death, physical assault, sexual assault, and

poor academic performance. From physical injury and death, “1,825 college students between

the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor-vehicle

crashes” (Dennington, 2020). This impact is very major because it causes the death of college

students. This also impacts the other person driving and may kill an innocent person while

affecting their family, friends, and community. Another impact of substance abuse is sexual

assault. “97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 report experiencing alcohol-related

sexual assault or date rape” (Dennington, 2020). This is a substantial number and sexual assault
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is a terrible thing that can lead to a heavy impact on an individual. This takes a huge toll on a

student's life when this happens and USF is no exception to a sexual assault occurring on

campus. There was an occurrence that happened at USF where there were allegations of sexual

misconduct in Tampa fraternities. “Almost 70 allegations have been made against USF alum and

current students on Twitter account @SurvivorsUSF, many of which accused members of USF

Greek life” (Ojandic, 2020). It seems that greek life has built up a bad reputation and is linked to

many allegations of sexual misconduct. Substance abuse can even have a negative influence on

student academics. There are “approximately 1 in 4 college students report academic

consequences from drinking, including missing class, falling behind in class, doing poorly on

exams or papers, and receiving lower grades overall” (Dennington, 2020). This is 25% of college

kids that suffer academically from substance abuse. This can have an impact on the student,

professor, family, and college. Succeeding academically is the most important thing in college

and substance abuse is hindering students from excelling in school.

Solutions

As we can see from the information above, there is a real problem in dealing with stress,

mental health issues, societal expectations, and how people are coping with these issues. As with

all problems, there are solutions to remedy the problem. By working to change the culture's view

of mental health and coping strategies, we can make a positive change. If people came together

we could see a change in just a few years and impact thousands of lives. We can start this change

by spreading awareness and creating better-coping methods, and social views around partying

and substance use.

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One of our main solutions is involved in spreading awareness of the issue. By spreading

awareness of the issue we can take away any negative stigma. By taking away the negative

stigma, people become more willing to talk about the subject and how it is affecting them in their

personal lives. There have been studies that show that social media is being used to discuss

mental health issues. While there are both positive and negative parts to this occurring, certain

types of posts are showing beneficial messages and information that is putting a positive spin on

the conversation (Saha, 2019). If we can boost the positive parts of this, there can be some

marked improvement in spreading awareness of the issue and erasing any harmful preconceived

notions on the topic.

Another part to help solve the issue is to teach better coping methods. So many people,

specifically students, do not cope with stress well. This can cause the development of mental

illness and bad decisions. To counter this, we should help others understand the need to have

self-care. According to the NIMH, “when it comes to your mental health, self-care can help you

manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy,” (Caring for Your Mental

Health, 2021). Self-care can be acts such as making sure you have a well-balanced diet, getting

plenty of sleep and exercise, and participating in relaxing activities. This can also include

keeping positive thoughts, setting goals, and staying connected to people (Caring for Your

Mental Health, 2021).

One of the last solutions to mention and one of the most important ones are working to

change the culture around partying and substance use. It is commonplace for people to associate

partying and substance use with distress. This is a very bad connection people associate together

as all through life people deal with stress. College is a time when people learn many of the

lessons and skills they will apply throughout their life. If they learn the wrong lessons then that
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may carry on to their future (Cranford, 2008). By using the two listed solutions above and

keeping conversations open and positive, we can hopefully change the culture surrounding

partying. We need to get college students to understand that while partying is not bad, partying

for certain reasons can be detrimental to one's mental and physical health.

Implementation

We have a few proposed solutions but some involve more action than others. The main

solution that takes the most work and organization would be holding events. We think that large

social gatherings may be a way to make people comfortable and open to discussion. An example

of implementing this can be applied at USF. At USF, we believe there should be a student

organization made that focuses on the topic of students' mental health. They could hold casual

events and/or post helpful information on good coping strategies. The main thing they could plan

would be events that work to change the culture around partying culture and mental health. We

propose one large event each semester that would happen at the Marshal Student Centers

ballroom. The first month would be used to reserve ballrooms a and b. This would be free as

student organizations can hold events here for free. We would plan out weekly meetings to make

sure that the elected members are each doing their assigned tasks. We would also plan to do at

least two Bull Market events to fundraise. We would plan for the event to be held in the fourth

month of the five-month semester. The main costs would be paying for any food or

drinks/catering, paying any staff needed to help run the event, and renting any items such as

tablecloths, staging, etc. We would be working to get sponsors for the event to cut costs so that

the event each semester should end up at the most cost $1,000 with no sponsorships. With the
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correct sponsors, such as Publix, USF Health, Tampa General Hospital, and more. Hopefully, by

the end, the event would cost at most $600.

Call to Action

While it may seem daunting, we as a USF community can help combat substance abuse

in a variety of ways. One solution could be a more comprehensive program regarding the

dangers of party culture and substance abuse issued to students at every grade level that is

mandatory to help reinforce in the student’s minds the consequences of abusing and indulging in

such things. This can also extend to the university hosting speakers on campus to share their

experiences with substance abuse and how it affected them and those around them. Monetarily,

the university will need to pay for room and board, as well as refreshments and food if they

choose to host a speaker, along with any costs associated with hiring them. For those who are

struggling with substance abuse, inviting them to these events may help convince them to stop

their abuse of alcohol or drugs and be able to reach out to friends or other support groups to seek

help in their battle to end their abuse.

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