Fall Semester—A Time for Parents To Discuss the Risks of College Drinking

(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) As college students arrive on campus this fall, it’s a time of new experiences, new friendships, and making memories that will last a lifetime. Unfortunately for many, it is also a time of harmful and underage drinking and dealing with its aftermath—from vandalism and sexual aggression and other forms of violence to injuries and death.

According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 53.6 percent of full-time college students ages 18 to 22 drank alcohol in the past month; 34.8 percent engaged in binge drinking (5 or more drinks on a single occasion for men or 4 or more drinks on an occasion for women) in the past month; and 9.7 percent engaged in heavy alcohol use (binge drinking on 5 or more days in the past month). These rates are higher than those for their non-college-attending peers. Read more.