Underage drinking is a major problem at American
colleges, but little is known about the extent of alcohol use in different
student groups, in different colleges, and in states with different
control policies. We used data from the 2001 and 3 previous
Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Studies that
compared responses of underage students with those of their
21–23-year-old peers. Underage students drank alcohol less frequently
but were more likely to drink to excess when they drank.
College educational efforts and deterrent policies were limited in
their outreach, and half of underage students obtained alcohol very
easily. Underage students in states with extensive laws restricting
underage and high-volume drinking were less likely to drink and
to binge drink. A majority of underage students supported increasing
efforts to control underage drinking. The results suggest that
additional policy efforts to control underage drinking may be
effective and feasible.
Key Words: alcohol, automobile accidents, binge drinking, min