College Students' Drinking Habits: Statistics, Trends, and Consequences

College is often perceived as a time of exploration and independence, and for many students, alcohol consumption is seen as an integral part of the higher education experience. However, this rite of passage can have dangerous and harmful ripple effects, extending well beyond the drinker and influencing the broader campus community. This article examines college students' drinking habits, exploring statistical trends, potential consequences, and strategies for mitigating alcohol-related harms.

Prevalence of Alcohol Use Among College Students

Data indicates that alcohol use is widespread among college students. According to the 2022 National College Health Assessment (NCHA) by the American College Health Association (ACHA), 71% of undergraduate college students reported having consumed alcohol in their lifetime. A similar study indicated that roughly 80% of college students - four out of every five - consume alcohol to some degree. This suggests that the vast majority of students are exposed to alcohol during their college years.

Recent Trends in Alcohol Consumption

While alcohol use remains prevalent, there have been some notable shifts in student drinking behavior over the years. The annual prevalence of alcohol use among college students has decreased by nearly 15 percentage points since 1980 (from 90.5% to 76.7%). However, between 2015 and 2020, alcohol use among college students has remained more consistent, ranging between 74.6% to 79%.

Interestingly, the use of alcoholic beverages mixed with energy drinks has decreased from 33.6% in 2011 to 20.7% in 2020. In contrast, 80.8% of students reported drinking flavored alcoholic beverages in 2020, the highest percentage in the past 15 years. Furthermore, the percentage of college students who reported binge drinking has decreased in the past five years, from 31.3% to 28%. These trends suggest a shift in the types of alcoholic beverages preferred by college students.

Binge Drinking: A Significant Concern

Binge drinking remains a significant concern on college campuses. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08%-or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter-or higher. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming five or more drinks (male), or four or more drinks (female), in about two hours.

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Binge drinking among college students saw a historic low during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic (just 28% of students reported binge drinking). However, the percentage has since rebounded to pre-pandemic levels (32%) in 2021. High-intensity drinking, defined as consuming 10 or more drinks in a row, has increased from 11% in 2011 to 13.1% in 2021. These statistics highlight the persistent problem of excessive alcohol consumption among college students.

Factors Contributing to Binge Drinking

Several factors contribute to binge drinking among college students. The first six weeks of freshman year are a vulnerable time for heavy drinking and alcohol-related consequences because of student expectations and social pressures at the start of the academic year. Factors related to specific college environments also are significant. Students attending schools with strong Greek systems or prominent athletic programs tend to drink more than students at other types of schools. Alcohol consumption is highest among students living in fraternities and sororities and lowest among commuting students who live with their families. Some students feel pressured to drink - not because people tell them to, but because they’re in an environment such as a bar or party where most people appear to be drinking.

Consequences of Alcohol Misuse in College

Alcohol misuse, and particularly binge drinking, can pose serious health and safety risks. Consequences of alcohol misuse include property damage, car crashes, drunk-driving arrests, sexual assaults, violence, injuries, and death. Over the long term, frequent binge drinking can damage the liver and other organs and increases the risk of suicide, mental health conditions, and alcohol use disorder. Studies also suggest that alcohol misuse and binge alcohol consumption has a negative impact on academic performance.

Alcohol-Related Harms Experienced by Others

A new study sheds light on the often-overlooked consequences of college drinking. More than half of US college students experienced alcohol-related harms caused by others, according to the first national probability-based survey of such harms conducted in 20 years. The results showed that more than half of college sophomores and juniors-an estimated six million students-reported experiencing at least one alcohol-related harm. These harms extend well beyond the drinker, influencing the broader campus community.

Specific Consequences Reported by Students

Undergraduate students have reported severe experiences while drinking, including browning out and blacking out. Nearly a quarter of college students (24.2%) who drink alcohol reported browning out while drinking. Browning out refers to when someone forgets where they were or what they did for a short period of time while drinking; however, they can recall those events when someone else reminds them. About 13% of students blacked out while drinking in the past 12 months. Blacking out refers to when a person drinks so much that they forget where they were and what they did for large amounts of time.

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Other consequences reported by students include:

1.9% of college students who drink alcohol reported that someone had raped them when they were under the influence.
12.3% reported having unprotected sex while drinking.
Over 20% of college drinkers reported doing something that they later regretted while drinking.
Out of the undergraduate students who drank alcohol within the past year, 3% seriously considered suicide while under the influence.
Only about 1% of undergraduates reported getting in trouble with their college while drinking in the past year.

These statistics underscore the severe and far-reaching consequences of alcohol misuse on college campuses.

Addressing College Drinking: Prevention and Intervention Strategies

Addressing college drinking requires a comprehensive approach that targets individual students, the student body as a whole, and the broader college community. Successful efforts typically involve a mix of strategies designed to change student knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to alcohol, as well as modify the campus and community environments where student drinking occurs.

Strategies Targeting Individual Students

Individual-level interventions target students, including those in higher-risk groups such as first-year students, student athletes, members of Greek organizations, and mandated students. These interventions aim to change student knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to alcohol so they drink less, take fewer risks, and experience fewer harmful consequences. Categories of individual-level interventions include:

Education and awareness programs
Cognitive-behavioral skills-based approaches
Motivation and feedback-related approaches
Behavioral interventions by health professionals

Strategies Targeting the Campus and Surrounding Community

Environmental-level strategies target the campus community and student body as a whole. They are designed to change the campus and community environments where student drinking occurs. A major goal is to reduce the availability of alcohol because research shows that reducing alcohol availability cuts consumption and harmful consequences on campuses as well as in the general population.

Evidence-Based Strategies

The College Alcohol Intervention Matrix (CollegeAIM) rates more than 60 alcohol interventions for effectiveness, cost, and other factors. In general, the most effective interventions in CollegeAIM represent a range of counseling options and policies related to sales and access. Strategies for mitigating alcohol-related harms include:

Place-based initiatives that reduce alcohol consumption in university housing
Targeted interventions with members of Greek life and student athletes
Greater use of evidence-based strategies to reduce and prevent alcohol consumption, including screening with personalized and normative feedback
Limits on happy hours and drink-price discounting
Raising state alcohol taxes

Supporting Students in Recovery

With the prevalence of alcohol consumption and abuse on college campuses, some students may need additional resources to recover from alcohol abuse. Programs like Florida State University’s LIFT (Living Intentionally, Finding Togetherness) program provide support to students in recovery as well as campuswide education around substance use and misuse to provide a culture of care. The University of New Hampshire received funding to launch an alternative support group in 2023 for students in recovery from substance abuse, creating a peer support network and establishing positive role models for learners.

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