According to the 2010 Monitoring the Future Study, 82% of college students have tried alcohol at least once in their lifetime and 71% report they have been drunk. More important, perhaps, is the occurrence of binge drinking – 37% of college students report binge drinking (having consumed five or more drinks in a row at least once in the two-weeks prior to completing the survey).

Trends in alcohol consumption among college students continue to slowly decline across all prevalence rates measured – from 1991 to 2010 annual consumption declined 11%, monthly alcohol consumption has declined 13% and binge drinking among college students has declined even more over this same period of time – down 14% from 43% to 37% in 2010. (Source: University of Michigan, Monitoring the Future, 2011)

Further, in the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health highlights that 16% of college students reported episodes of heavy drinking, that is, binge drinking on five or more occasions in the past month.

The Monitoring the Future Study (2005-2010) revealed 13% of college students reported they have consumed 10 or more drinks in a row at least once in the past two weeks and 5% reported consuming 15 or more drinks in a row. (Source: NIDA, Monitoring the Future, 1975-2010: Volume II, College Students and Adults Ages 19-50, 2011)

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College Drinking - Getting Drunk
College Drinking - Past Month
College Drinking - Trends