Experts on adolescent drinking are looking for reasons why binge drinking among college students is so much more common than is excessive drinking among people the same age who aren't enrolled in college.

Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row on one occasion.

Since the drinking age was raised to 21 years old by all states in the 1980s, binge drinking has declined in the group ages 18 to 24 years old, except among college students, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

• In the last 27 years, binge drinking among men ages 18 to 20 years old not enrolled in college dropped by 30 percent.
• However, binge drinking remained statistically the same among college men the same age, and increased slightly among college women, according to this study from Washington University School of Medicine.
• The survey found that 83 percent of college students drink and 41 percent admit to binge drinking over the last two weeks.

Some people believe that life on campus encourages heavy drinking, because of peer pressure, a lack of parental supervision, and having older friends who can buy alcohol for underage students.

Last year more than 100 college presidents called for lowering the legal drinking age to 18 years old, under the theory that students would be less likely to engage in secret binge drinking if it became legal. Groups such as Mothers against Drunk Driving, insurance companies, and police organizations do not want the legal drinking age lowered.

Labels: binge drinking, college_students

Posted By: Aspen/CRC