Underage College Students' Drinking Behavior, Access to Alcohol, and the Influence of Deterrence Policies: Findings from the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study

Abstract

Underage drinking is a major problem at American colleges, but little is known about the extent of alcohol use in different student groups, in different colleges, and in states with different control policies. We used data from the 2001 and 3 previous Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Studies that compared responses of underage students with those of their 21-23-year-old peers. Underage students drank alcohol less frequently but were more likely to drink to excess when they drank. College educational efforts and deterrent policies were limited in their outreach, and half of underage students obtained alcohol very easily. Underage students in states with extensive laws restricting underage and high-volume drinking were less likely to drink and to binge drink. A majority of underage students supported increasing efforts to control underage drinking. The results suggest that additional policy efforts to control underage drinking may be effective and feasible.

Lifestyle Practice among Malaysian University Students

“…Similar study showed that students living in on-campus residences, such as fraternities, sororities, or residence halls, tend to drink more, more often engage in ''binge drinking,'' and report more alcohol-related negative consequences than those living with their parents (Martin and Hoffman, 1993;Montgomery and Hammerlie, 1993;Valliant and Scanlan, 1996). Wechsler et al (2002) presented data from multiple Harvard School of Public Health College alcohol studies including over 53,000 participants and 140 colleges that provided compelling evidence for the impact of living environment on problem drinking.…”

Fake ID ownership and heavy drinking in underage college students: Prospective findings.

“…The use of holographs and colors to make the manufacture of false identification difficult may show promise, although it is in need of much more research (Wagenaar, Lenk, & Toomey, 2005). Furthermore, binge drinking in college students is lower in geographical areas for which there are four or more underage laws (38.7% vs. 47.8%), including laws such as minimum ages of servers, sellers, and clerks; fake ID restrictions; laws on attempts to purchase or consume; or the posting of warning signs (Wechsler et al, 2002a(Wechsler et al, , 2002b. Because Greek members and college students in general demonstrate a high prevalence of fake ID ownership, administrators may wish to address alcohol access and consumption at the college level, which may be accomplished through educational programs involving both students and faculty (Vicary & Karshin, 2002) and punitive measures toward underage students possessing alcohol and those attempting to enter on-campus parties with fake IDs.…”

“…Indeed, illegal purchase and possession of alcohol is a problem in its own right, as violations of liquor laws accounted for 15% of all arrests among youth aged 18 to 20 years in 2003 (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2003 Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2004) Although underage college students are less likely to be drinkers than their college peers aged over 21 years of age (77% vs. 86% past-year consumption of any alcohol, odds ratio [OR] = . 56), they were more likely to report that they typically engaged in binge drinking on occasions when they did consume alcohol (58% men and 32% women vs. 42% men and 21% women; men OR = 1.93, women OR = 1.85), where binge drinking was defined as five or more drinks in a sitting for men and four or more drinks in a sitting for women (Wechsler, Lee, Nelson, & Kuo, 2002a, 2002b. Underage college drinkers have also been found to be 1.2 times more likely than their of-age student peers to report having five or more alcohol-related problems (Wechsler, Kuo, Lee, & Dowdall, 2000).…”

“…Underage college drinkers have also been found to be 1.2 times more likely than their of-age student peers to report having five or more alcohol-related problems (Wechsler, Kuo, Lee, & Dowdall, 2000). Thus, the underage college student drinker appears to be at exceptionably high risk for hazardous drinking and consequences as well as syndromal alcohol use disorders (Dawson, Grant, & Li, 2005).Despite legal restrictions of on-premise and off-premise alcohol sales to minors, 51% of underage college students reported that they thought alcohol was "very easy" to obtain and 18% reported that they used false identification (fake ID) for the purpose of obtaining alcohol (Wechsler et al, 2002a(Wechsler et al, , 2002b. Although it is not always necessary for a minor to use or own a fake ID to purchase alcohol, it seems reasonable that fake ID ownership may increase the accessibility of alcohol by working as a local or individual reaction to age restrictions (Gruenewald & Treno, 2000), which, in turn, may increase perceived availability (Abbey, Scott, & Smith, 1993) and therefore perhaps embolden some minors to enter establishments and attempt to purchase alcohol.…”

Efeito Das Variáveis Sociodemográficas E De Vulnerabilidade No Padrão De Uso De Álcool Em Mulheres Universitárias

“…22 Hence, the university appears to be a place to socialize with peers and seems to be an environmental factor that mediates the consumption of alcohol. 23 In regard to the origins of students, most women were from the country's central region (Andean region) where Boyacá and Cundinamarca are located, which are characterized by high rates of alcohol consumption. According to a study from 2013, these areas present rates above the national average.…”