College students know about alcohol.

They know what to drink, where to drink, how to mix their drinks, how to choose healthy drinks, what to drink to compliment certain foods, how to add alcohol into those foods and the list goes on.

In case you haven’t caught on, alcohol is a huge part of the college lifestyle.

But, as Robert Heinlein once wrote, “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.”

Every action has a consequence and if left unchecked, the consequences of drinking could ruin your life.

Sara Kellogg, program director of the Substance Abuse Prevention Center said about 41 percent of ISU students participate in high-risk drinking.

“High-risk drinking is four or more drinks in a single sitting, which is typically considered two or three hours of drinking,” Kellogg said.

Studies have shown drinking to be more than just a good time in the campus setting; it has become the social norm, and in some cases a rite of passage for college social groups.

“Research has suggested to some extent that there is a cultural expectation of drinking in college,” Kellogg said. “College students drink because it’s a stress reliever and it’s social.”

Drinking may not be a problem for students today, but the habit may continue to evolve over the years, sometimes resulting in alcoholism.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), alcoholism is a chronic disease that makes one physically and mentally dependent on the consumption of alcohol.

Kellogg said the disease is not commonly found on college campuses.

“A very small percentage of students are actually classified as being dependent on alcohol,” Kellogg said.

“It’s very hard to be a student and do the things required of a student when you are intoxicated.”

So what is there to worry about? According to the NIAAA’s report, rates of alcohol problems are highest in young adults between ages of 18 and 29.

A member of Ames Alcoholics Anonymous said they have had several ISU students attend their meetings in the past.

This same member said that some people are more likely to become dependent on alcohol than others and Kellogg agreed.

“If a student has a history of alcoholism in their family, there are some studies to suggest that there is a genetic disposition for alcoholism,” Kellogg said.

Yuriy Gritsenko, freshman in computer engineering, grew up with alcoholism in his family, causing him to choose to avoid alcohol entirely.

“My personal opinion is that it’s kind of worthless,” Gritsenko said. “I have no further desire to drink because of my experiences.”

This would appear to be a safe choice – research has shown that somebody like Gritsenko is about four times more likely to become dependent on alcohol than someone who does not have the disease in their genes.

Another factor that can make one more vulnerable to alcoholism is the age at which drinking begins. The NIAAA survey found that those who began drinking at the age of 14 were four times as likely to become dependent on alcohol than those who started at the age of 20.

Even though alcoholism probably will not develop until years after graduation, there are ways to stop the snowball before it starts rolling.

Kellogg offers advice: “If you’re not doing the things that you need to do, even though you know you should; if you’re not going to class, not going to work, not finishing assignments and you are spending that time drinking, then you want to at the very least talk to someone or get a screening.”

Student Counseling Services offers free alcohol dependency screenings for any student. The counseling sessions are completely confidential, and can help to catch an alcohol problem before it becomes too serious.

The thought of alcoholism is one that students can easily shrug off, but it becomes a bigger risk every time the problem is ignored.

Make sure you’re in control of your drinking, not the other way around, because after the fun is over, the brew wave can become one slippery slope.