Alcohol Use in College

Patterns of Alcohol Use in College

One area where students have the opportunity to experiment is with their use of alcohol. Though colleges do not endorse drinking for students under the legal drinking age, students find ways to access alcohol. Nationally, about 80 percent of college students use alcohol. Research on college student drinking shows that more than 70 percent of college students report that when they drink, they drink four or fewer drinks on any one occasion. This is notable for two reasons: it points to the fact that a very significant majority of students drink moderately, if at all, and it places most students within a comparatively safe range, since research shows that people who drink fewer than five drinks on any occasion are much less likely to find themselves in trouble because of their drinking.

Between 25 and 30 percent of college students drink at a level that is regarded as problematic in the general population. Fortunately, about two-thirds of those students have reduced their drinking significantly within months or years of leaving college. The remaining one-third continues drinking and is subject to the many problems associated with long-term alcohol misuse. Heavy drinking in college is a risk factor for the development of alcoholism in later life — though it is a precursor of alcoholism for only a small number of the students who drink this way: probably about nine percent of all college students.

Harm Reduction

In reality, the risks for most college students are not from the drinking itself, but from the physical and legal/administrative risks that can occur as a consequence of the circumstances of drinking. If you are among the students who already are using or expecting to use alcohol, it is desirable to be aware of some of the facts relating to its use so that you are in the best position to make informed judgments. A major goal to keep in mind is to minimize the risks to yourself — both physical risks and risks to your good standing as a student and as a good citizen. The range of potential risk is enormous, going from mild (e.g., hangover symptoms or a single missed class) to very severe (e.g., serious accidental injury or death).

First, it is clear that for most college students — those under 21 — the possession and use of alcohol are illegal and involve a risk of criminal prosecution. In fact, about 40 percent of college students face disciplinary action for their use of an illegal substance (primarily alcohol) at some point in their college career. To avoid this sort of difficulty, you will need to make choices about when, where, and with whom you will drink, as well as about the amount you will drink. Here are some points to keep in mind:

• Drinking with people who drink very heavily, and who are likely to pressure others about how much to drink, is risky.
• Drinking in loud social settings with many drinkers tends to invite legal and administrative attention.
• Drinking with people you do not know well, especially when unaccompanied by a trusted friend, is very risky. As a basic rule, do not enter any drinking social event unless you and at least one friend have agreed to look after each other and stay in close contact.
• Moderating how much you drink is very important.

Gender and Size as Factors Influencing Blood Alcohol Concentration

Size influences alcohol tolerance, such that smaller people have less tolerance than larger people. Gender is also a significant influence. A woman drinking an equal amount of alcohol in the same period of time as a man of equivalent weight may have a higher blood alcohol level. The gender difference is due to metabolic differences in how the body processes alcohol. Women must exercise particular restraint to achieve moderate alcohol consumption.

For most people, drinking about one drink an hour is a good target to maintain safe, low-risk levels of consumption. This is the rate at which most people's bodies can metabolize alcohol. It should be noted that “one drink” refers to 1½ ounces of liquor, 12 ounces of beer, or 5 ounces of wine — all contain approximately the same amount of alcohol and are referred to as a “standard drink.”

Driving

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a driver's ability to divide attention between two or more sources of visual information can be impaired by blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of .02 percent or lower. Two drinks in one hour would make most people exceed .02. At a BAC of .05 percent or more, impairment occurs consistently in eye movements, glare resistance, visual perception, reaction time, information processing, and other aspects of psychomotor performance. Even a very low level of alcohol consumption decreases driving safety.

Blood Alcohol Concentration

The following information is provided to give you some frame of reference for judging the effect that a given level of blood alcohol will produce in a person's behavior.

*Subtract .01% for each 40 minutes of drinking. One drink is 1.25 oz. of 80 proof liquor, 12 oz. of beer, or 5 oz. of table wine.

Counseling Services

If you have any questions regarding the information on this page or concerning your own drinking choices, please don't hesitate to contact one of the counselors. Counseling Services offers a wide range of information on mental health and substance use issues and provides caring, confidential help from professionals experienced in helping students deal with those issues.

Michelle De Rosa can be reached at 757.455.3131 and Sarah Morris can be reached at 757.455.5730.

Please note: Ideas and information on this page were adapted from the Villanova University website.