Drugs and Alcohol
The prevalence of alcohol and drugs on college campuses is a prime reason to keep guns out. Binge drinking is highest among 18-24 year olds. Illegal drug use also peaks during these volatile years. Both activities are common among college students. For example, according to a new study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, “[n]early half of America’s 5.4 million full-time college students abuse drugs or drink alcohol on binges at least once a month.” For college gun owners, the rate of binge drinking is even higher – two-thirds. Of course, both drug and alcohol use greatly increases the risks of injury to users and those around them. Alcohol, for example, “is involved in two thirds of college student suicides, in 90% of campus rapes, and in 95% of the violent crime on campus.” Almost 700,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted each year by another student who has been drinking. If guns were involved, those assaults would be much more likely to be fatal. Guns, alcohol, and drugs have proven to be an extremely dangerous mix.
There is also a strong connection between gun ownership by college students and an increased likelihood to engage in dangerous activities. Two studies of college students found that those who owned guns were more likely than the average student to:
• Engage in binge drinking,
• Need an alcoholic drink first thing in the morning,
• Use cocaine or crack,
• Be arrested for a DUI,
• Vandalize property, and
• Get in trouble with police.
Moreover, the students that engaged in multiple dangerous activities on this list were even more likely to own a gun. Gun ownership was also significantly greater among college students who had either been injured in alcohol-related fights or car accidents than students who were not injured at all. The researchers concluded that “college gun owners are more likely than those who do not own guns to engage in activities that put themselves and others at risk for severe or life threatening injuries.” In addition, substance use, school problems, and perpetration of violence have been significantly associated with gun-carrying adolescents.
Colleges and universities have many programs in place to address drug and alcohol abuse, but it is unlikely that campus drug and alcohol problems will be eliminated any time soon. Therefore, it is even more critical that schools be able to ban or tightly control firearms possession and use by students. A binge-drinking, drug-using student is dangerous enough; let’s not give him or her a gun.
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The study that the BC keeps referencing is flawed. I read the study and it asks if the participant has a working gun on campus (illegal in most cases) and also does other illegal things (drugs etc.). Well duh! I'm sure if they aren't listening to the no guns policy, they probably don't care about the law and therefore won't care about breaking others. I'm also going to make the generalization that if someone cares less about the law they are probably more likely to show violence toward their fellow man (and woman). So I don't think that going from a yes answer to the question "do you have an illegal gun ON campus" should be quoted as "gun owners". Don't twist the facts.
Why are you viilianizing the firearm when the your main argument is controlled substances?
Come on do you really think this is a good argument against the students constitutionally guaranteed right?
Guns are meant to be in the hands of law enforcement who are trained to use them not in the hands of college students. The fact that drugs and alcohol are often used on college campuses is the first indicator that guns should not joining this dangerous mix. The result would not lead to more safety but to more tragedies. A person who has been using drugs or alcohol is not fit to drive a car so why would they be allowed to use a gun? It seems that in our haste to feel safe on college campuses all we would be doing is creating more problems.
Well it is already illegal to carry a firearm will under the influence so those LAW ABIDING citizens who have permits wouldn't be carrying while intoxicated anyways. I have numerous firearms in my apartment, so do many of my friends and I am aware of at least one fraternity who has multiple gun safes in their house. I have yet to hear of an incident in at my college campus. No to mention how many students do you know that come to class drunk? Most of the parties I am aware of are off campus where guns are already present so how would allowing them on campus by licensed individuals to and from class make it any more dangerous? Also you don't need 9 months of training to know how to use a firearm for self defense. Most self defense situations occur at less than 12 feet and last mere seconds. You like many of those against this concealed carry on this forum forget that these college students are adults that carry everywhere else why does a college campus automatically make someone prone to violence?
By reading your post, sounds to me like the problem is Alcohol and Drugs and the firearm is secondary for protection. I'm going to take a wild guess and say you are not campaigning for alcohol free schools. Easier to blame the firearm and hold nobody accountable for their actions.