Summary: Over half of U.S. college students experience harm caused by others’ drinking, highlighting the widespread impact of alcohol misuse on campuses. These harms range from babysitting intoxicated peers to experiencing verbal abuse, emotional distress, or even physical assaults.
Students in Greek life, athletics, or higher socioeconomic groups are particularly at risk. Researchers call for evidence-based interventions like limiting alcohol promotions, increasing taxes, and implementing targeted campus initiatives to protect students from these ripple effects.
Key Facts:
- Prevalence of Harm: 53.5% of college students reported experiencing harm caused by others’ drinking.
- Most Common Issue: Babysitting intoxicated peers was the most reported harm (33.8%).
- At-Risk Groups: Students in Greek life, athletics, or living in shared housing are at greater risk.
Source: Boston University
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,” says study lead author Jih-Cheng (Jack) Yeh, a PhD candidate in health services and policy research at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH).
“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.”
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.”
About this psychology and alcohol research news
Author: Jillian McKoy
Source: Boston University
Contact: Jillian McKoy – Boston University
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Closed access.
“Harms from others’ drinking among college students: Prevalence and risk factors, 2022” by Jih-Cheng (Jack) Yeh et al. Drug and Alcohol Review
Abstract
Harms from others’ drinking among college students: Prevalence and risk factors, 2022
Introduction
Alcohol’s harms to others (AHTO) refers to the negative effects experienced by individuals other than the drinker. This study investigates the prevalence and risk factors of AHTOs among US college students (sophomores/juniors), based on the first national probability-based survey conducted in 20 years.
Methods
We assessed AHTOs in the fall of 2021 from 1918 participants across 46 US schools, weighting the data to reflect the US undergraduate sophomore/junior population. We combined survey weights and prevalence estimates to approximate the number of sophomores/juniors in the US college population who experienced each AHTO. Once weighted, the sampling method was designed to be representative of sophomores/juniors.
We used multivariate logistic regression with clustered standard errors to estimate the likelihood of each AHTO domain and any AHTO for demographic and behavioural risk and protective factors.
Results
Half (53.5%) of our sample reported experiencing at least one AHTO, which corresponds to nearly 6 million US sophomores/juniors. Students who were White; attended 4-year schools; identified as cisfemale or transgender, gender nonconforming, or 2+ identities; of higher socioeconomic status (as indicated by parent’s highest level of education); lived with roommates; and/or participated in Greek organisations or intercollegiate athletics had a higher likelihood of AHTOs.
Discussion and Conclusions
Our findings demonstrate that AHTOs, including academic, physical and sexual harms, are prevalent on college campuses. These results suggest that colleges likely underestimate the impact of alcohol on their students. Therefore, broadening and strengthening campus and state-level policies and strategies to prevent and reduce these harms effectively are needed.
