College Drinking


            The college drinking culture in the U.S. has now become a self-perpetuating
            problem, with recent research that indicates many college students drink more
            because they assume everyone else is drinking too. For far too long, college
            drinking has been viewed as a rite of passage. But heavy drinking among college
            students is now preventing many young people from truly reaching their full
            potential in this most promising time of life. Here are the facts:

            • Alcohol Consumption and Binge Drinking are Common Among
              College Students (1)

                  - Alcohol Consumption: About four in five of all college students drink,
                    including nearly 60 percent of students age 18 to 20.

                  - Binge Drinking: Approximately two of every five college students of all
                    ages—more than 40 percent—have reported engaging in binge drinking at
                    least once during the past 2 weeks. However, colleges vary widely in their
                    binge drinking rates—from 1 percent to more than 70 percent (Wechsler et
                    al., 1994, 1998, 2000b and NSDUH 2006).

            • Excessive Drinking in College Leads to Many Adverse Outcomes

                  - Deaths: It is estimated that 1,700 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from
                    alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes (about half among students
                    under 21).

                  - Injuries: It is estimated that 599,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are unintentionally injured
                    under the influence of alcohol each year (about half among students under 21).

                  - Assaults: It is estimated that more than 696,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted
                    by another student who has been drinking each year (430,000 of them by a college student under 21).

                  - Sexual Abuse: It is estimated that more than 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims
                    of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape each year (about half among students under 21).

                  - Unsafe Sex: It is estimated that more than 400,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 had
                    unprotected sex as a result of their drinking and more than 100,000 students between the ages of 18 and
                    24 report having been too intoxicated to know if they consented to having sex each year.

- Academic Problems: It is estimated that about 25 percent of
  college students report academic consequences of their drinking,
  including missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or
  papers, and receiving lower grades overall.

- Vandalism: About 11 percent of college student drinkers report that
  they have damaged property while under the influence of alcohol.







            For additional information about college drinking, go to NIAAA’s College Drinking Prevention web site at:
            http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/.



            Notes/Additional Resources

            1 Johnston LD, O’Malley PM, Bachman JG, Schulenberg JE. Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on
               Drug Use, 1975–2007. Volume I: Secondary School Students (NIH Publication No. 08–6418A). Bethesda, MD:
               National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2008, p. 26.