Substance Use and Alcohol Consumption Among International Students

Attending college and being an adult who makes their own decisions, the level of alcohol consumption and substance use depends on individual choices. As international students study abroad and experience cultural shock, they may encounter issues with substance abuse and intense alcohol consumption in college, especially to a greater extent during the covid-19 pandemic. Because of the anxiety, uncertainty, fears of covid-19 and being away from family, international students in college may choose to smoke and drink in order to escape from reality. 

According to a research study about gender differences in substance abuse of Chinese international college students during covid-19, “both male and female Chinese international college students with anxiety problems showed a higher tendency to take medicines and drink beverages” (Li et al. 4). This result demonstrates that Chinese international students tend to have medications and drink alcohol to release their stress and anxiety regardless of gender difference.  Additionally, while male Chinese international college students were more likely to experience depression severely than females, females tend to have a higher tendency of taking medicine, drugs, cigarettes and eating dessert (Li et al. 3-6). This implies that female Chinese international students are more vulnerable to experiencing mental health issues with taking drugs, drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. I find this research quite interesting as many people may assume that male college students are more exposed to substance use and alcohol consumption; however, female Chinese international students are more vulnerable to substance abuse and overdrinking. 

Furthermore, drugs are not legalized in many international students’ home countries. This difference in law and regulations may frighten newly incoming students who have not been exposed to drugs, especially the widely used marijuana. While some people may feel disturbed and anxious about substance use, other people may begin consuming them on a regular basis. Although some substance use in the United States is legalized and consumption in the states is fair, it would be difficult for international students who rely on drugs in the states that are not legalized and have no access in their home countries. Accordingly, international students should be aware of the consequences of consuming substances before they make decisions. It is important to note that there is a risk of getting addicted to weed while in the United States and having no accessibility when going back home. Potential addiction may cause further mental health issues.

In addition to drugs, heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems are considered high risk for college students in Australia, Europe, and South America which is similar to that of North America (Karam et al.). This study on alcohol use among college students shows that alcohol consumption is a common issue across the globe regardless of race, gender, ethnicity and nationality. Nevertheless, I find it important to recognize that there is a limited research study on international students’ alcohol consumption and substance use. More research projects should be done to help understand international students’ behavior of engaging in social clubs and activities. Considering what we can do now, I would suggest that CAPS and MHP build more awareness of their resources, availability and accessibility to the international community on campus so that students make better choices. 

Works Cited

Karam, Elie, et al. “Alcohol Use Among College Students: An International Perspective.” Current Opinion in Psychiatry, vol. 20, no. 3, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc, 2007, pp. 213–21, https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0b013e3280fa836c.

Li, Mingsheng, et al. “Gender Differences in Mental Health Disorder and Substance Abuse of Chinese International College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Frontiers in Psychiatry, vol. 12, Frontiers Media S.A, 2021, pp. 710878–710878, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.710878.