THE ADVERSE IMPACT OF HEAVY EPISODIC DRINKERS ON OTHER COLLEGE-STUDENTS

Objective: College student survey data were examined to assess the imp act of campus levels of heavy episodic drinking on nonheavy episodic d rinking college students. Method: Analyses are based on a survey maile d to a random sample of college students at 140 American colleges. A t otal of 17,592 students (69%) at participating colleges responded. The study defined ''heavy'' drinking as the consumption of five or more d rinks in a row for men and four or more for women, and divided schools into approximately equal categories: lower drinking level schools whe re 35% or fewer students were heavy drinkers; mid-level schools (36-50 % heavy drinkers); and high drinking level schools where over 50% of t he students were heavy drinkers. Results: Residing on campus at high d rinking level schools adversely affected students who were not engagin g in heavy drinking. The odds of experiencing at least one problem fro m other students' drinking was 3.6 to 1 when nonheavy drinking student s at high drinking level schools were compared to nonheavy drinking st udents at lower drinking level schools. Examples of such secondary hea vy drinking effects included being hit or assaulted, having one's prop erty damaged or experiencing an unwanted sexual advance. Conclusions: College alcohol prevention efforts should include a focus on the needs of students who are not engaging in heavy drinking yet may be adverse ly impacted by other students' heavy drinking.