A new study, co-authored by Dr. Pamela Trangenstein and Dr. Thomas Greenfield at PHI’s Alcohol Research Group, shows that more than half of college students reported alcohol-related harms from others, with harms ranging from verbal abuse and physical confrontations to academic disruptions and emotional distress. Over 1,900 students from 46 colleges and universities across the U.S. participated in the study.
“More than half of US college students have 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, 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 Ph.D. 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% 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%), followed by social harms, such as physical or psychological distress (23.5%), sleep or study disruptions (15%), and verbal harassment (14.3%). Other harms included being emotionally hurt/neglected or feeling threatened/afraid (13.1%), having unwanted sexual contact (5.1%), being physically assaulted (4.3%), and experiencing academic consequences such as dropping a class or transferring schools (3.1%).
Heavy drinking among students causes collateral damage beyond the student drinkers themselves. It is critical for the success and well-being of all students that we track, prevent and protect students from experiencing these harms.
Pamela Trangenstein, PhD, Study Co-Author and Scientist, Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute
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.”
Originally published by Medical Xpress
