BINGE DRINKING IN COLLEGE - THE IMPACT OF PRICE, AVAILABILITY, AND ALCOHOL CONTROL POLICIES

This paper estimates the effects of beer prices, alcohol availability, adn policies related to driving under the influence of alcohol on dri nking and binge drinking among youths and young adults. Data are from a nationally representative survey of students in U.S. colleges and un iversities. Separate estimates are obtained fro underage male and fema le students, as well as for older male and female students. The estima tes indicate that the drinking practices of male college students are generally insensitive to the price of beer. However, underage drinking and binge drinking by female students do respond significantly to pri ce, although both are relatively inelastic. The results also show that strong drunk driving policies targeting youths and young adults signi ficantly reduce drinking and binge drinking by male students. Similarl y, these policies reduce drinking among female college students but ap pear to have little impact on their binge drinking. Instead, the resul ts indicate that many elements of campus life (including participation in a fraternity of sorority, living on campus, and the ready availabi lity of alcoholic beverages) are among the most important determinants of drinking and binge drinking among college students.