Imperial-educated doctor claims university stress led to alcohol addiction
Lauren Fowler, 25, avoided a prison sentence for drunk-driving this week. She claimed that she drank at university to "cope with the stress"
An Imperial-educated junior doctor this week avoided a prison sentence following two arrests for drink-driving.
Lauren Fowler, 25, who graduated from Imperial College London last year, said the stress of studying had left her addicted to alcohol. She appeared at Stockport Magistrates’ Court this Monday after being arrested twice in the last year for driving under the influence. She was bailed following her first offence, during which she crashed her car in a busy pedestrian area. Less than two months following this, she was arrested again after drinking half a bottle of vodka and driving around a hotel car park.
In a statement read out in court it was claimed Fowler “drank at university to cope with the stress, and she didn’t know who to go to for help with her addiction.” Fowler attended Imperial as a direct entry student, after studying in Cambridge for the first three years of her degree.
In a 2015 survey by the National Union of Students, it was reported that 85% of students felt drinking was part of university culture, while 5% of students had driven whilst over the legal limit. The majority were not aware of any safe drinking campaigns at their university.
A College spokesperson said it “would not be appropriate” to comment on individual cases, but said Imperial is “committed to promoting the health and well-being of its students, and offers any students with alcohol or substance misuse problems the opportunity to obtain support and be treated sensitively.” Fowler will now face a disciplinary investigation from the General Medical Council.
