Catharine E. Mennes

College Drinking Catharine E. Mennes

Problem drinking among college students has been identified as a major public health concern and epidemiological data indicates that the issue is not subsiding. Problem drinking has devastating consequences including poor academic performance, unintentional injuries, drinking and driving, unprotected sex, sexual assault and even death. Yet, students continue to engage in risky drinking assuming they will avoid these consequences. Even with all the current awareness, there are still unanswered questions. This book investigates those questions by examining the factors that influence problem drinking. Using the nationally representative Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS) data of over 14,000 students at 119 colleges, 19 established risk and protective factors are examined to determine differences between freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and 5th year undergraduates and how they relate to problem drinking. The analyses presented provide insight into college life and should be particularly helpful to professionals in student affairs, alcohol researchers, and therapists or anyone else who has a curiosity about college drinking.