Alcohol and Other Drugs

Educational Resources

For Alcohol and Drug Use on Campus

Substance misuse and drug dependency are problems of staggering proportions in our society today. They are the leading causes of preventable illness, disability, and death in the United States. Alcohol/chemical dependency is a disease that affects not only individuals, but every component of the family system, workplace, and the community.

College campuses are no stranger to these issues and the statistics on college drinking can be pretty sobering. So before you chug that beer or down that kamikaze, check out some facts.

College Drinking Statistics According to National Surveys

• 39.1% of college students drank alcohol with the intention of getting drunk (ACHA-NCHA, 2021).

• 14.4% of college students reported driving after consuming alcohol within the prior month (ACHA-NCHA, 2021).

• 1,519 college students are killed yearly by injuries involving alcohol, and 696,000 are assaulted yearly by another intoxicated student (NIH, 2023).

• Nearly 150,000 college students who drink excessively will develop resulting health problems each year, including cirrhosis, various cancers, and heart disease (Alcohol Rehab Guide, 2023).

• On average 1.2 million college students drink alcohol every year and a little more than 700,000 use marijuana. (Lipari et al., 2016).

• Heavy drinking lowers the chance of a college student getting a job by 10% (Bamberer et al., 2018).

Where Do You Fit In?

The good news about drinking statistics on campus is that most students that do drink, drink responsibly. According to the Core Institute, one of America’s leading research institutions on college drinking habits, most students have less than six drinks per week. More than one in four students have not had any drinks in the past 30 days.

Alcohol Protective Factors

• Use a designated driver.
• Stay with the same group of friends the entire time drinking.
• Choose not to drink alcohol.
• Avoid drinking games.
• Eat before and/or during drinking.
• Alternate non-alcoholic beverages.
• Stick with only one kind of alcohol while drinking.
• Pace drinks to one or fewer an hour.
• Keep track of number of drinks being consumed.
• Determine in advance not to exceed a set number of drinks.
• Have a friend let you know when you’ve had enough.