The Binge Drinking Epidemic

A recent study of the Harvard School of Public Health of 119 college campuses shows that two out of five college students drink five drinks in a row at least once every two weeks—specifically, 44 percent of collegians binge-drink. This figure did not change from 1993 to 1999. However, frequent bingers (bingeing three or more times in the past two weeks) are on the rise. They comprised 20 percent of college students in 1993 and by 1999, the figure was 23 percent. More troubling, drinking at women's colleges grew substantially, from 24 percent in 1993 to 32 percent in 1999 (frequent drinking doubled—from 5 percent to 12 percent).

More for Alcohol Than Books

College is clearly a catalyst for alcohol use. In fact, young adults ages 18 to 22 who don't go to college drink less than those who do. Age 21—the age most collegians graduate from college—is the peak age for binge drinking across the typical American life span. Past-month drinking actually increases into the middle years, but is more moderate in in-take.

To give some sense of the magnitude of college drinking, 12 million undergraduates drink 4 billion cans of beer or 55 six packs each a year. About 25 percent of college students find drinking hurts their grades and school work. Drinking is twice as heavy at frat houses than outside them. Fraternity members average 14 drinks a week versus 6 drinks by non-fraternity members.

What Happens to the Brain and Body?

Studies show that more than 35 percent of adults with an alcohol problem developed symptoms—such as binge drinking—by age 19. Long-term use risks liver damage, pancreatitis, certain cancers, and literal shrinkage of the brain. Alcohol use is the second-leading cause of dementia; one simply ages quicker on alcohol. In 1998, there were 15,935 alcohol-related deaths in vehicular crashes. Though most college drinkers would deny it, young people do die solely from drinking. In 1995, 318 people ages 15 to 24 died from alcohol poisoning alone, many of them after a night binge at college. At the University of Virginia, a tradition that has seniors drinking a fifth of hard liquor at the final game of the football season (the so-called "Fourth-year Fifth") has killed 18 students since 1990.

Alcohol Affects Women More

Many women appear to have reduced levels of the gastric enzyme that metabolizes alcohol—in short, it leaves their system more slowly. At the same time, less alcohol does more short-term, as well as long-term, damage to women's health than men's. Annually more than 70,000 college students are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape. Two-thirds of binge drinkers report reckless behavior such as unprotected sex, unplanned sex, or driving while drunk.

Selling Alcohol to Youth

Alcohol is a $115 billion industry in the United States; bingers account for 76 percent of beer sales nationwide. Studies show that underage—that is, illegal—drinkers account for 10 percent of the alcohol market, or $10 billion annually. Among recent ploys to lure youth into drinking are so-called "alcopops" beverages—sweet, fruity lemonades and other drinks laced with liquor—and "zippers," fruity gelatin shots containing 12 percent alcohol.

College Checking? Some Tips

While college hunting, parents can help increase the odds against their youth binge-drinking by asking some questions:
1) Could you give me a copy of your biennial report under the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act? 2) What percentage of your students join fraternities and sororities? 3) What percentage of your athletic budget comes from the alcohol industry? 4) How much funding does the school provide for recreational activities that do not include alcohol? 5) May I check the common space in residence halls on a Saturday or Sunday morning?

To change recipient’s name or fax number or to order a catalog of substance abuse publications, call SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) at 1-800-729-6686, TDD 1-800-487-4889 (for the hearing impaired). 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Substance Abuse Prevention www.samhsa.gov.

Prevention Alert is supported by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and may be copied without permission with appropriate citation. For information about Prevention Alert, please contact CSAP by phone at 301-443-0375, or e-mail gorfalea@samhsa.gov.