Female binge drinkers have always gained negative attention. However, there is more to the binge-drinking lifestyle than people discuss. The overwhelming social, emotional and physical implications have long-term effects that are seldom addressed.

Female binge drinkers have been described as sloppy, slutty and wild without similar descriptions of their male counterparts. These descriptions stay with these women long after they leave a party.

Drinking has become a social expectation at almost every college, but the negative classifications these women receive from their excessive drinking seems to alienate them socially.

Instead of feeling accepted by their partying peers, they face judgment from the large majority, including their male counterparts.

Recent studies also shed light on the severity of the physical implications of female binge drinking. It was shown that excessive drinking can lead to a variety of chronic diseases, cancer, and memory and learning problems.

Although it is important to know the health risks of binge drinking, it is unrealistic to expect women to limit their partying ways.

The majority of female binge drinking stems from both a stressful college environment and difficulty socializing with populations of students.

The college structure alienates students from one another based on their social groups. Whether we want to admit it or not, these groups are predetermined. You have different people living on your hall, in your classes and on your teams, but you can only pick your friends from this set group.

I think that the need for unlimited companionship is a vital component of human nature. This need to interact with people outside of our typical encounters is part of why binge drinking has become so common.

These social and emotional factors could be causing long-term physical consequences that college-aged women are not prepared to handle. Although a lot of women know binge drinking is bad for them, they cannot find other means to satisfy their social and emotional needs.

If colleges want women to drink more responsibly, they must first fix the internal collegiate problems. This cannot be done; drinking has become too ingrained into socializing for changes to be made.

Too much focus has been placed on stereotyping females that binge drink. It is a personal choice, and those engaging in it are of age to make decisions. Instead, focus should be placed on helping women realize the array of consequences prior to making these decisions.

Socializing is a major part of the college experience, and drinking has become a main component of socializing. This prevalence has made it impossible for colleges to get a grasp on female binge drinking.

In the future, all that can be done is an attempt to change the mentalities of those judging women binge drinkers. With more support in all areas of their lives, they may stray from excessive drinking when they are ready.