Over half of US college students experience alcohol-related harms

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 findings, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review in December, shed light on how others' drinking affects students' health, academics, and safety. 

Our research reveals the far-reaching and often overlooked impact of alcohol on college campuses. Alcohol-related harms extend well beyond the drinker, influencing the broader campus community. These harms disrupt lives, strain campus resources, and create ripple effects that touch every part of the university experience."

Jih-Cheng (Jack) Yeh, study lead author, PhD candidate in health services and policy research at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH)

The study surveyed more than 1,900 students at 46 colleges and universities across the United States. Researchers found that 53.5 percent of students reported experiencing at least one harm caused by someone else's drinking, ranging from verbal abuse and physical confrontations to academic disruptions and emotional distress.

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. Students who identified as White, cisfemale, transgender, gender-nonconforming, or of higher socioeconomic status, as well as those living with roommates, attending four-year institutions, or participating in Greek life or intercollegiate athletics, were at greater risk.

The most commonly reported harm was babysitting drinkers (33.8 percent), followed by social harms, such as physical or psychological distress (23.5 percent), sleep or study disruptions (15 percent), and verbal harassment (14.3 percent). Other harms included being emotionally hurt/neglected or feeling threatened/afraid (13.1 percent), having unwanted sexual contact (5.1 percent), being physically assaulted (4.3 percent), and experiencing academic consequences such as dropping a class or transferring schools (3.1 percent).

"Heavy drinking among students causes collateral damage beyond the student drinkers themselves," says study co-author Dr. Pamela Trangenstein, collaborator at Alcohol Research Group, a program of the Public Health Institute. "It is critical for the success and well-being of all students that we track, prevent and protect students from experiencing these harms."

The new study adds to a bevy of research highlighting the dangers of alcohol consumption, including a recent advisory by the US Surgeon General that links alcohol consumption to seven types of cancer and suggests that alcohol beverages should display a warning label about this risk.

The researchers recommend several strategies for mitigating alcohol-related harms, including place-based initiatives that reduce alcohol consumption in university housing, targeted interventions with members of Greek life and student athletes, and 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, and raising state alcohol taxes. These measures, they argue, could help reduce not only the direct effects of alcohol misuse but also the collateral damage experienced by others.

"College drinking is sometimes seen as a rite of passage, but this rite has dangerous and harmful ripple effects," says study senior author Dr. David Jernigan, professor of health law, policy & management at BUSPH. "There is much more that campuses and governments can do to better protect students from these harms."