Binge
Drinking - The most widespread health problem on college
and university campuses in the United States is high-risk
alcohol and other drug (AOD) use. Recent reports confirm that
the nation’s campuses continue to encounter significant consequences
as a result of this problem.
Binge Drinking on College Campuses is becoming
serious problem.
Studies suggest that between 1993 and 2001,
approximately 44 percent of college students
were heavy binge drinkers, defined for men
as five or more drinks in a row on at least
one occasion in the past two weeks, and for
women as four or more drinks. In addition,
drinking behavior has become increasingly
polarized during the past 10 years, with more
students abstaining but also more students
binge drinking heavily. The percentage of
students who abstained from alcohol increased
from 16 percent in 1993 to 19 percent in 2001,
while the percentage of those engaged in frequent
heavy drinking rose from 19.7 percent in 1993
to 22.8 percent in 2001. At the same time,
the percentage of non–heavy drinking students
decreased from 39.7 percent in 1993 to 36.3
percent in 2001, while that of occasional
heavy drinkers fell from 24.3 percent in 1993
to 21.6 percent in 2001.1 Campuses should
take a look at how such a polarization in
drinking behavior may affect their student
population. Additionally, students report
getting drunk more frequently in 2001 than
in 1993. In 1993, nearly a quarter of students
said they became drunk more than three times
during the past 30 days; this rate increased
to 29.4 percent in 2001. The percentage of
students who said they drank alcohol to get
drunk climbed from 39.9 percent in 1993 to
48.2 percent in 2001.1 Drinking rates vary
considerably on different campuses. For instance,
the 2000 CAS report suggests that campuses
in the Northeast and the Midwest have higher
rates of binge drinking than campuses elsewhere.
In addition, drinking varies among different
populations on campus. Men are more likely
to binge drink then women. According to a
1999 study by the Core Institute, fraternity
members and athletes are more likely to drink
heavily and to suffer negative consequences
than are other groups on campus. White students
are much more likely to drink heavily (50.2
percent) than are students of other ethnicities,
such as Hispanic (34.4 percent), Native American
Indian/Other (33.6 percent), Asian/Pacific
Islander (26.2 percent), and black/African
American (21.7 percent). The Core Institute
suggests that students at historically black
colleges and universities drink less than
students at predominantly white institutions
do. Few studies have examined AOD use among
students with disabilities or among gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender students, areas
where the research community could focus more
attention.
Consequences of Alcohol Use The consequences
that both binge drinking and non-drinking students
suffer due to alcohol use are even more alarming.
Compiling results from a number of general
health surveys, NIAAA’s A Call to Action:
Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges
estimates that, as a result of alcohol use,
every year:
* 1,400 college students die from alcohol-related
causes, and 1,100 of these deaths involve
drinking and driving.
* 500,000 students suffer nonfatal injuries.
* 400,000 students have unprotected sex.
* More than 100,000 students are too intoxicated
to know whether they consented to sexual intercourse.
* 1.2–1.5 percent of students attempt suicide
because of alcohol or other drug use.
* More than 150,000 students develop a health
problem related to alcohol.
* 11 percent of students damage property.
* 2.1 million students drive while under the
influence of alcohol.
Drinking on campus undermines the mission
of higher education, with heavy binge
drinking leading to a decline in academic
performance. The NIAAA reports that about
25 percent of college students report academic
problems caused by binge drinking, such as
earning lower grades, doing poorly on exams
or papers, missing class, and falling behind.5
Several AOD prevention experts suggest that
heavy drinking can have a negative effect
on the institution as a whole, reducing retention
rates, increasing expenses from incidents
of vandalism, and branding the institution
a “party school.” This “party school” image
may encourage more alcohol-related problems,
as it attracts students who choose to be in
high-risk settings. For example, researchers
have found fraternities to be a social setting
that draws students who desire to be in heavy
drinking environments.
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