What Parents Need to Know About College Drinking
In April 2002 a special Federal Task Force of the
National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism issued its report titled A Call to
Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges. The Task
Force was composed of college presidents, alcohol researchers, and
students. The report was the culmination of a 3-year, extensive analysis
of research literature about alcohol use on college campuses, including:
- the scope of the college drinking problem
- the effectiveness of intervention programs currently used by
colleges and communities
- recommendations for college presidents and researchers on how to
improve interventions and prevention efforts
The purpose of this brochure is to highlight practical information
from A Call to Action that parents can use in choosing a college
for their son or daughter, and to help parents better understand campus
culture. The full report of the Task Force and additional supporting
documents are available at
www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov.
A Snapshot of Annual High-Risk College Drinking Consequences
What do we know about the extent and impact of alcohol abuse on
college campuses? The recently published data compiled below illustrate
that each year the consequences of college drinking are more
significant, more destructive, and more costly than many Americans
realize. It is also important to remember that these consequences may
affect your son or daughter whether or not they drink.
- Death: 1,400 college students between the ages of 18 and
24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries,
including motor vehicle crashes.
- Injury: 500,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24
are unintentionally injured under the influence of alcohol.
- Assault: More than 600,000 students between the ages of
18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.
- Sexual Abuse: More than 70,000 students between the ages
of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date
rape.
- Unsafe Sex: 400,000 students between the ages of 18 and
24 have unprotected sex and more than 100,000 students between the
ages of 18 and 24 report having been too intoxicated to know if they
consented to having sex.
- Academic Problems: About 25 percent of college students
report academic consequences of their drinking including missing
class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers, and
receiving lower grades overall.
- Health Problems/Suicide Attempts: More than 150,000
students develop an alcohol-related health problem and between 1.2
and 1.5 percent of students indicate that they tried to commit
suicide within the past year due to drinking or drug use.
- Drunk Driving: 2.1 million students between the ages of
18 and 24 report driving under the influence of alcohol last year.
- Vandalism: About 11 percent of college students report
that they have damaged property while under the influence of
alcohol.
- Property Damage: More than 25 percent of administrators
from schools with relatively low drinking levels and over 50 percent
from schools with high drinking levels say their campuses have a
"moderate" or "major" problem with alcohol-related property damage.
- Police Involvement: About 5 percent of 4-year college
students are involved with the police or campus security as a result
of their drinking. An estimated 110,000 students between the ages of
18 and 24 are arrested for an alcohol-related violation such as
public drunkenness or driving under the influence.
- Alcohol Abuse and Dependence: 31 percent of college
students met criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse and 6 percent
for a diagnosis of alcohol dependence in the past 12 months,
according to questionnaire-based self-reports about their drinking.
Parents: A Primary Influence
As a parent you continue to be a primary influence in your son's or
daughter's life. You are key in helping them choose the right college so
that they get the best education possible. At the same time, you also
need to ensure that when they go off to college they live in a safe
environment. There are three distinct stages in which you, as a parent,
contribute in critical ways to the decisionmaking involving your
college-bound son or daughter:
I. Parents of a High School Student-Choosing the Right College
- As you examine potential colleges, include in your assessment
inquiries about campus alcohol policies.
- During campus visits, ask college administrators to outline in
clear terms how they go about enforcing underage drinking
prevention, whether the school sponsors alcohol-free social events,
what other socializing alternatives are available to students, what
procedures are in place to notify parents about alcohol and
substance abuse problems, what counseling services are available to
students, and how energetic and consistent the follow-up is on
students who exhibit alcohol abuse and other problem behaviors.
- Inquire about housing arrangements and whether alcohol-free
dorms are available.
- Ask whether the college/university employs student resident
advisors (RAs) or adults to manage/monitor dormitories.
- If there are fraternities and/or sororities on campus, inquire
about their influence on the overall social atmosphere at the
college.
- Ask if the school offers Friday classes.
Administrators are increasingly concerned that no classes on Friday
may lead to an early start in partying on the weekends and increased
alcohol abuse problems.
- Find out the average number of years it takes to graduate from
that college.
- Determine the emphasis placed on athletics on campus and whether
tailgating at games involves alcohol.
- Find out the number of liquor law violations and alcohol-related
injuries and deaths the campus has had in previous years.
- Finally, consider the location of the college and how it may
affect the social atmosphere.
Influence of Living Arrangements on
Drinking Behavior
