The University is also concerned about student abuse of alcohol. Succeeding at the University requires a balanced, healthy lifestyle. Misuse of alcohol and the use of other drugs can interfere with or prolong a student's academic career as well as cause legal, social, financial, and health problems. As an educational institution, the University endeavors to protect and assist students by providing reliable information about the hazards of illegal drugs and alcohol. Physiological and psychological dependency, which manifests itself in a preoccupation with acquiring and using one or more drugs, may cause severe emotional and physical injury.
Alcohol consumption causes a number of marked changes in behavior.
Even low doses significantly impair the judgment and coordination required to drive a car safely, increasing the likelihood that the driver will be involved in an accident. Moderate to high doses of alcohol cause marked impairments in higher mental functions, severely altering a person's ability to learn and remember information. Very high doses cause respiratory depression and death. If combined with other depressants of the central nervous system, much lower doses of alcohol will produce the effects just described. Common side-effects of alcohol consumption include digestive complaints and sleep problems and may adversely affect a student's academic performance.