|
 |
| What
is the typical pattern of a student binge drinker? |
Student binge-drinkers tend to be younger -- freshman and sophomores,
white, male and tend to binge drink on weekends, which at many colleges
begin on Thursdays. Typical student binge drinkers also tend to have
relatively low GPAs and binged in high school.
|
|
|
| When
do most college binge drinkers begin patterns of alcohol abuse? |
According to studies by Dr. Henry Wechsler, of the Harvard
School of Public Health, the pattern doesn't begin in college but rather
in high school. Those trends are evident in CASA's own annual teen surveys
which measure attitudes among 12-17 year-old students. Our most recent
survey, released last September, shows nearly 40% of 16 and 17-year-olds
drank within the past month. More than half of 17-year-olds - 54% - say
alcohol was available at most parties they attended in the last six months.
More than one-third of 16 and 17-year-olds say more than half of their
friends drink most weekends. |
|
|
| How
do current trends of binge drinking compare to past years? |
Recent studies show that the high rates of binge drinking have remained
constant over the past few years although the number of students abstaining
had increased slightly. A 1997 Harvard University study found that two
out of five students (nearly 43%) reported to be binge drinkers. Women
are catching up to men: 39% of women and 48% of men. The number of females
indicating that they drank to get drunk had also increased more sharply
than male drinkers.
|
|
|
| Does
binge drinking in college usually translate into excessive alcohol use
later? |
Some research suggests that binge drinking is confined to
college and that students mature out as they move from early to late college
years or from college to the world-of-work. However, there is very little
data on large numbers of post-college students. |
|
|
| What
kinds of programs at colleges have been effective in reducing binge drinking
on campus? |
Studies indicate that little has been effective but there are some
interesting trends such as overturning Buckley law (which requires colleges
not to release any information on students over 18 to their parents)
and informing parents of college students involvement with alcohol.
Also, some college presidents have argued that if you tighten restrictions
on campus the drinking will occur off campus with other assorted problems.
CASA's own College Commission report issued in 1994 made a number of
recommendations to change the drinking culture on America's campuses,
such as offering prevention and treatment programs; banning all alcohol
advertising and promotion on campus; sponsoring alcohol-free events
and serving nonalcoholic beverages at all campus events; engaging students
in activities that foster self-esteem such as community service and
developing a national "Alcohol Awareness Index" by which prospective
students and their parents can measure the degree to which each college
and university is seriously addressing the alcohol problem.
Some type of integrated parental/campus/community partnership might
make sense as well. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
has currently set up subcommittees of researchers and college presidents
to look at this issue and summarize what we know. NIAAA has also put
out a request for proposals to test innovative approaches to address
the binge drinking problem on campus.
|
