What Are the Most Common Misconceptions About College-age Drinking?

3/1/2009

Trusteeship Magazine

The first misconception is that problem drinking starts before college. That’s true for some, but the effect of college on drinking is a very real one. According to our surveys, within six weeks of arriving on campus, abstention drops by 45 percent while high-risk or binge drinking goes up 114 percent. On top of this, college students outpace the drinking of their non-college-going peers—so it’s not just a youth issue, it really is a college issue. And despite the myths about "healthier" European drinking, most European countries report higher rates of binge drinking among youth than the U.S. The U.S. ranks 19 of 23 countries surveyed on this measure, ahead of only Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Turkey.

Are there any success stories?

A second misconception is one that is costing us dearly. The idea that most problems on campus are caused by the handful of students who are frequent heavy drinkers is patently untrue. The majority of negative consequences arise from light, moderate, and infrequent binge drinkers. This group represents roughly 60 percent of students on campus, and although they are less "risky" based on individual drinking, they cause more negative consequences due to sheer numbers, multiplied by the fact that any drinking carries some risk. Higher-education institutions now spend about 80 percent of alcohol-abuse-prevention resources and time on frequent heavy drinkers (about 20 percent of the population) when they ought to reallocate the majority of resources to engaging "moderate" drinkers—the largest group of students representing the largest number of negative consequences—and the roughly 20 percent who abstain. Investments in alcohol-free social venues on campus such as movie nights and live music are examples of this approach.

There are a few dozen institutions that have made profound progress in reducing alcohol-related harms. Not surprisingly, they have made a real investment of time, money, and resources in "institutionalizing" a strategy for addressing the problem. When a committed president leaves, though, what has been put in place to ensure the next president (regardless of personal interest) cares about making an impact on this problem? Factor this commitment into the presidential-review process and you’ll ensure you’ve "institutionalized" it.

Why is drinking a particularly challenging problem for institutions to address?

We have overemphasized the role that peer pressure, stress, and newfound freedom play in student drinking and underemphasized our ability as educators and administrators to set a different standard for what it means to go to college. Far too many of us treat college drinking as a rite of passage, but its impact on our ultimate educational goals is no longer acceptable. For example, college students spend more time under the influence of alcohol than they do studying. These findings, currently embargoed for release, are based on our surveys of nearly 293,000 college students in 2008 and blood-alcohol calculations based on their self reports of drinking. Few of us have formulated and committed to an adequate institutional response to address this ugliest truth about higher education.

What do you see as the appropriate next steps for presidents and governing boards?

A simple first step is to schedule a briefing for senior cabinet and board members. Second, ensure the institution is regularly reporting key metrics to the board, which should be asking: Are we making progress? How will we know? What preventive (as opposed to counseling and intervention) efforts do we have in place? How are we providing a welcoming atmosphere to students who choose not to drink? If this issue is important to an institution and its governing board, "progress in reducing the consequences of drinking on campus" should be clearly articulated in the institution’s strategic plan.

Brandon Busteed is founder and CEO of Outside The Classroom, which provides research, educational programming, advisory services, and professional development training to help colleges and universities reduce alcohol-related risk (busteed@outsidetheclassroom.com).

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