What is public health? Students in the UGA Health & Wellness class are here to help you find out! They have strategically identified examples in the Athens community that they feel represent public health in action. This blog is dedicated to explaining, understanding, and discussing what their interpretations of public health, as well as their reactions to learning about topics of health and wellness.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Reflection/Reaction Piece


I definitely wanted to do my reflection on the lecture given by Betria Stinson on alcohol and drugs. She informed us on the alcohol and drug use present at UGA, the effects of alcohol on our bodies, the standard drink within different types of alcohol, and also gave us some harm reduction strategies. This topic interested me because of the prevalence of drugs in alcohol in college students and specifically UGA. We are at an age where alcohol and drugs are constantly around us and therefore I was very interested in learning more about the subject. 

Alcohol and drugs impact my life in a few different ways. Socially, I am surrounded by peers that consistently drink alcohol and where drinking is a large part of college life. This social aspect has put me in the position to decide if, when, and how I want to drink as well. I think while the college social atmosphere puts a lot of emphasis on drinking heavily, I have learned through this speaker that there are many ways to drink socially and responsibly without making some of the mistakes college students make when drinking. Drugs have also impacted my life in the way that there are pressures to try new things in college and it is important to stick to your individual morals and beliefs when faced with these pressures.

This topic is also very important to public health in general. While drinking can be healthy in moderation, the overuse of alcohol and participation in drugs has let to many addictions and diseases. We are fortunate in this day to have many support groups and rehabilitation centers to help those that are willing and motivated to get better.

The only remaining thoughts I have regarding this topic is are there more resources we could provide to college students to educate them about drinking responsibly? Would the students even use these resources if they were available or is this not a top concern for them at this point in their lives?

2 comments:

  1. I agree that you should stick to what you are comfortable with regarding drugs and alcohol. What constitutes as having a fun time for one person is not always the same as another's idea of a good time. It is good to know yourself and what your limits, as well as be respectful of others' choices.

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  2. I also thought that Betria's lecture over drugs and alcohol was important. I agree with Erin that we are in a time in our lives and environment where drinking and drug usage is everywhere, and in order to know what and what not to do/use, students and the public population should be more educated on these two topics. After all, they greatly affect our health. I think if we are educated and know all of the risks we are taking when drinking alcohol or using drugs, we will definitely be smarter in our choices and can possibly reduce the percentage of the college population, as well as the population in general, who drink alcohol and use drugs.

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