“Binge-drinking among college students is a nationally recognized
problem,” say Harvard’s Henry Wechsler, Ph.D., and colleagues,
who studied drinking habits of college students at 118 four-year colleges
in 39 states.
Binge drinkers consume five or more drinks in a row for men, or four or
more for women. Although drinking and driving is a major health risk, 35
percent of college students reported drinking and driving during the school
year and 23 percent admit to riding with a high or drunk driver.
Looking at alcohol marketing practices around college campuses and encouraging
strong enforcement of state alcohol laws and policies might reduce the
harmful effects of heavy drinking, the researchers say.
As part of the 2001 College Alcohol Study, Wechsler’s team combined
a survey of more than 10,000 students with reports from trained observers
who visited 830 bars, clubs and restaurants and 1,684 liquor, convenience
or grocery stores within a two-mile radius of the campuses. They compared
student drinking habits to alcohol marketing practices at these establishments.
Those special promotions and the sale of beer in large-volume units — kegs,
24- or 30-can cases or party balls (55-drink kegs) — were reflected
in higher binge-drinking rates.
Emphasis on volume carried over to price. For a 24-can case, the lower
the price, the higher the binge-drinking rate at the college. However,
low-priced 12-packs of beer did not produce such high rates.
At bars and clubs, lower average alcohol sale prices and weekend beer
specials also correlated with higher drinking rates, Wechsler says.
“Our results indicate that the alcohol environment around campuses — including
lower sale prices, more promotions and alcohol advertising at both on-
and off-premise establishments — was correlated with higher binge-drinking
rates,” he says.
During the school year, more than half of binge-drinking students faced
at least five alcohol-related problems, such as: unplanned sexual activity,
damaging property, injuring themselves, getting into trouble with police,
being treated for alcohol overdose, doing something they later regretted,
or forgetting their actions.
Drinking and driving was probably the most dangerous problem, Wechsler
says. The survey revealed patterns in how often the students drove after
drinking, or rode with an impaired driver.
“A higher percentage of men, white students and members of fraternities
or sororities drove after drinking or rode with a driver who was high or
drunk,” says Wechsler. “Students at medium-sized, public
and Southern and North-Central schools more often reported driving after
consuming
at least five drinks.”
Students aged 21 to 23 years were more likely to drive after drinking
or after binge drinking than those either younger or older. That implies
that students overused their newly gained right to buy alcohol legally.
It also correlates with other study observations that using age verification
policies in bars and clubs was linked with higher binge drinking rates.
Checking IDs kept underage students from buying alcohol but admitted freshly
legal patrons who then drank excessively.
Students who were binge drinkers in high school were three or four times
more likely to engage in any of the drinking and driving behaviors studied.
The lowest rates of drinking and driving appeared among residents of substance-free
dorms. Serious enforcement of alcohol-control laws — including restriction
on underage alcohol purchase, blood alcohol concentration, open containers
and happy hours — also cut rates of heavy student drinking, and
of drinking and driving.
Wechsler concludes that regulating alcohol marketing practices and backing
a comprehensive array of state alcohol legislation and policies could help
reduce binge drinking and the subsequent harm from drinking and driving.
These studies were supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
