Unsafe Sex
Each year an estimated 400,000
students between the ages of 18
and 24 have unprotected sex, and
more than 100,000 students between
the ages of 18 and 24 report having
been too intoxicated to know if they
consented to having sex.5
Academic Problems
About onequarter of college students report having
academic consequences because of their drinking,
including missing class, falling behind, doing
poorly on exams or papers, and receiving lower
grades overall.6–9
Alcohol Abuse Disorder
Nineteen percent of college students between the
ages of 18 and 24 met the criteria for an alcohol
use disorder, but only 5 percent of these students
sought treatment for alcohol problems in the year
preceding the survey.10
Drunk Driving
Each year an estimated 4,860,000 students
between the ages of 18 and 24 drive under the
influence of alcohol.11
Other Consequences
These include suicide attempts, health problems,
vandalism, property damage, and involvement with
the police.
Factors Affecting Student Drinking
Although the majority of students come to college already
having some experience with alcohol, certain aspects
of college life, such as unstructured time, the widespread availability of alcohol, inconsistent
enforcement of underage drinking laws, and limited interactions with parents and other adults,
can intensify the problem. In fact, college students have higher bingedrinking rates and a higher
incidence of drunk driving than their noncollege peers.
The first 6 weeks of freshman year is an especially vulnerable time for heavy drinking and alcoholrelated
consequences because of student expectations and social pressures at the start of the
academic year.