College drinking is one of the traditions of growing up and moving away from home. With more freedom comes more individual choices and many students are choosing to drink. College drinking is widespread and common in the United States, but it isn’t the actual consumption of alcohol that is concerning. It’s the habit of binge drinking among college students that has people concerned.
Facts About Binge Drinking Among College Students
1. 1,825. That’s the number of college students every year between the ages of 18-24 who die because of injuries that are suffered due to alcohol consumption.
2. The percentage of college students who drink alcohol in the United States: 80%.
3. 50% of the college students who drink will decide to consume alcohol through binge drinking.
4. More than 690,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.
5. Students who binge drink are 3 times more likely to have unplanned or unprotected sex.
6. The number of college students who are sexually assaulted or are victims of date rape because of excessive alcohol consumption: 97,000. It is also believed that this figure is underreported, as national statistics show that up to 40% of sexual assaults are never reported to law enforcement officials.
7. Almost 600,000 college students are injured in some way every year because of their decision to drink.
8. 1 in 4 college students will miss classes, have lower grades, or fall behind in their studies because of alcohol.
9. 1.5%. That’s the percentage of students who have attempted to commit suicide because of their decisions to use drugs or drink.
10. More than 150,000 students develop an alcohol-related health problem every year.
11. About 40% of college students admit to binge drinking at least once in the last 14 days.
12. US colleges and universities vary widely in binge drinking rates within the student population: from 1% to 70%. Because hospitalization figures do not chart where students go to school, however, these figures may not be accurate.
13. 1 in 6 US adults will binge drink an average of 4x per month.
14. Although the definition of binge drinking is to consume 5 drinks in a row, the average American binge drinker will consume 8 drinks in a row.
15. 92% of U.S. adults who drink excessively report binge drinking in the past 30 days.
16. Binge drinkers are 14x more likely to report alcohol-impaired driving than non-binge drinkers.
17. 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinking.
18. College students who binge drink are 3x more likely to black out compared to those who do not.
In the 21-25 age demographic, binge drinking is at its highest. More than 45% of college students in this age group say that they binge drink regularly, which means they have more than 5 drinks in a row. This level of alcohol consumption leads to bad judgment and puts the student at risk. That’s why knowing these binge drinking statistics is so important to the safety of today’s college student.
Why Are College Students Binge Drinking?
There are several factors in play when taking a look at this issue.
- College students are placed under an immense pressure to perform without a coping outlet.
- There is a “special” factor to alcohol consumption that makes it feel good to drink.
- It gives young adults the chance to feel like they are rebelling, making them feel truly independent.
Each of these issues must be addressed for binge drinking to be addressed. Although the pressures to perform may not change, the provision of alternative coping mechanisms can be introduced by learning institutions and families. We can reduce the appeal of alcohol by normalizing its consumption. Independence can be experienced in many forms that don’t include drinking.
It’s an issue that must be addressed because college students are getting hurt when they choose to binge drink. Men and women are both finding themselves more susceptible to assaults, rape, and other forms of violence because of the influence of alcohol. Binge drinking by college students may not end, but because some schools see rates as low as 1%, they are doing something right that other schools or not. Let’s take an example from the 1% in this instance and apply it to see if the national trends of binge drinking can be stopped.