Drinking in college is more than just prevalent. Students disperse into their respective universities and are suddenly immersed into an environment of alcohol, an environment which many of these students had not yet before experienced. Those college students that do engage in the frequent, plentiful consumption of beer, wine, and liquor have found a way to balance school, sleep, and a social life. Now, it appears, these students are just downright happier.

Researchers completing a new study on alcohol consumption have discovered that college-age students who binge drink are happier than those who don't.

Those who engaged in binge drinking tend to belong to so-called high-status groups: wealthy, white, male and active in fraternity life. And those who did not belong to the high-status groups could achieve similar levels of social acceptance through the act of binge drinking. In fact, the study results suggest that students engaged in the heavy drinking practice to elevate their social status amongst peers rather than to alleviate depression or anxiety.

"The present study offers another insight into the nature of a seemingly intractable social problem," the study released on Monday reads. "It is our hope that by drawing attention to the important social motivations underlying binge drinking, institutional administrators and public health professionals will be able to design and implement programs for students that take into account the full range of reasons that students binge drink."

Our own research corroborates this study. We have found numerous sources of such happiness occurring with binge drinking:

(via)

(via)

(via)