Research was conducted to determine if social capital influenced the norms of drinking and alcohol-related behavior amongst college students. A random sample survey was distributed to college students at a medium-sized regional university (N = 2600). A mixed-method design was used to examine the results, including correlation and regression…

Objective: Popular media have highly publicized alternative forms of alcohol use (e.g., eyeballing, inhaling alcohol vapor) among college students as a growing concern, possibly associated with severe health risks. Formative research indicates rarity of use. Participants and Methods: College students (Study 1: n = 411; Study 2: n = 687) completed…

Objective: The authors investigated the alcohol consumption trajectories among first-year university students. Participants: A sample of 415 students attending a large university in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, was recruited. Methods: Students completed a baseline questionnaire and 26 weekly brief Internet surveys assessing alcohol consumption…

Purpose: As the most widely used substance among adolescents in the United States, alcohol remains a critical public health issue. The majority of research in this area has focused on individual-level variables. This study examined the contextual effects of rurality, geographic region, and community ethnicity in the prediction of alcohol use among…

This study examined alcohol use development from ages 13-20 years. The sample comprised 256 youth (50.4% female; 51.2% White, 48.8% African American) assessed annually for 6 years. A cohort-sequential latent growth model was used to model categorical alcohol use (non-use vs. use). Covariates included gender, race, income, parent marital status,…

Objective: This study examined alcohol consumption patterns and trends at a public university in the Northeast from 2002 to 2008. Participants: Stratified random sampling was used to select undergraduate students enrolled in courses during spring semesters in 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008. Methods: Data were collected during regularly scheduled…

Objective: Evaluation of the Brief Alcohol Screen and Intervention in College Students (BASICS) in a university primary care setting. Participants/Methods: Undergraduates (N = 449) participated in BASICS and electronic surveys assessing frequency/quantity of alcohol and drug use, psychosocial and mental health outcomes, and demographic…

Few studies examine changes in drinking behavior during the transition from high school to college. Using a sample of 239 first-year males, we hypothesized that participants would increase drinking from pre-college to the first month of college. Results reveal a general trend toward increased drinking upon entering college. Caucasians increased…

Analysis of the data from 20 administrations of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reveal an overall lower trend in the rate of binge drinking for the period from 1979-2006. This period encompasses the transition to a uniform legal drinking age of 21 in the U.S. Little improvement is seen in binge drinking among college students while…

This article provides information on a decade of trends and prevalence of substance use at a Midwestern prohibitionist university. Trends were based on three data collection times, 1995, 2000, and 2005. This information was compared with results of a number of national surveys to identify trends in the data. Total averages for the prohibitionist…

Drug use among American Indian (AI) youth continues at higher levels than those found among other youth. While the rates are higher, the patterns of increases and decreases over the past 30-year period have been similar, indicating that AI youth are part of the larger adolescent culture. There is a set of secular influences that affect the rates…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of recent changes in young people's consumption of alcohol in Britain before then charting emerging academic perspectives and some of the recent regulatory and legislative changes. Design/methodology/approach: The approach takes the form of a selective narrative review of young people's…

Introduction: There is scarcity of Indian data on substance dependence in children and adolescents. Methods: Case records of 85 adolescents with the final diagnosis of substance dependence were analyzed (out of 115 registrations during 1978-2003). Results: Time trends showed an increase in individuals with good social support and higher family…

A study shows that moderate drinking is associated with 10 percent higher income earnings whereas as heavy drinking is associated with 12 percent higher income. Smoking, however, has reverse trends.

Reports on efforts at several colleges (Ithaca College, New York; Princeton University, New Jersey; Luther College, Iowa; and Vassar College, New York) to end such school traditions as nude streaking or naked soccer, usually accompanied by heavy drinking. School officials see such activities as significant threats to students' health and safety.…