NCJ Number
198147
Journal
Journal of American College Health Volume: 48 Dated: March 2000 Pages: 199-210
Date Published
March 2000
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This paper reports on the results of the Harvard School of Public Health 1999 College Alcohol Study (CAS), which examined overall levels of binge drinking among college students and determined whether the trend toward increased polarization of drinking behavior on campus had continued as determined in the 1993 and 1997 CASs.
Abstract
For the purposes of the CAS, "binge drinking" was defined as "the consumption of five or more drinks in a row for men and four or more for women, at least once in the 2 weeks preceding the survey." The 1999 CAS resurveyed colleges that participated in the 1993 and 1997 surveys. Responses to mail questionnaires from approximately 14,000 students at 119 nationally representative 4-year colleges in 39 States were compared with responses received in 1997 and 1993. The 1999 CAS found that two of five students (44 percent) were binge drinkers in 1999, the same rate as in 1993; however, both abstention and frequent binge-drinking rates increased significantly. In 1999, 19 percent were abstainers, and 23 percent were frequent binge drinkers. As before, binge drinkers, particularly frequent binge drinkers, were more likely than other students to experience alcohol-related problems. At colleges with high binge-drinking rates, students who did not binge drink continued to be at higher risk of encountering the secondhand effects of others' heavy drinking. The continuing high level of binge drinking is discussed in this paper in the context of the increased attention to it and expanded actions at colleges. Although it will take some time for interventions to take effect and be assessed, the actions college health providers have undertaken thus far may not be adequate. 9 tables and 20 references