Risky drinking behavior common among students, study suggests

Grabbing that extra drink may have more of an impact than one might think.

According to a new study, a majority of men and women between the ages of 18 and 34, such as college students at Boston University, have recently experienced at least one at-risk drinking incident, according to a new study.

At-risk drinking is four or more drinks per day for men or three or more for women. According to the study, released by Screening for Mental Health on April 10, roughly 71 percent of men and 52 percent of women surveyed have reported an at-risk drinking incident within the past 12 months, according to the study.

“People think, ‘oh, I can drink in college, it’s just a phase — I’ll stop later on in life,’” said Screening for Mental Health Marketing and Communications Manager Angela Devereaux. “But actually, research shows that the more you drink as a young adult the more likely you are to become addicted later in life. It’s not always just a phase — it could definitely affect you later on.”

Screening for Mental Health, a Massachusetts-based organization, aims to promote “the improvement of mental health by providing the public with education, screening and treatment resources,” according to its site.

Devereaux said the study sought to overturn misconceptions among young adults about binge drinking and warn them of its consequences.

There are many possible negative outcomes of heavy drinking, such as alcohol poisoning, injuries from falls, drunk driving, aggression and unprotected sex, Devereaux said.

“There’s just so many directions it can go when heavy drinking is involved,” she said. “That can be really dangerous for students.”

She also said Screening for Mental Health has online resources for students who have questions about drinking and its consequences.

“We have screenings available online that will let you know if you’re drinking in risky ways and, more importantly, how to cut back and where to get help if you think you need help,” Devereaux said.

Kathleen Kantak, a BU psychology professor, said underage drinking can foreshadow alcohol abuse later in life.

“Oftentimes when people start drinking alcohol in large amounts when they’re young, it can lead to uncontrolled use of alcohol,” she said.

Kantak said the later in life one starts drinking, the more likely he or she will be to be able to control alcohol intake. However, health risks are likely for heavy drinkers regardless of when they begin abusing alcohol.

“It can cause potential brain damage … deteriorate cardiovascular health and contribute to heart disease,” she said.

Kantak said many do not realize the true harmfulness of alcohol because it is a legal substance for anyone above the age of 21 in the U.S.

“People are under the misconception that if it’s a prescription drug or a legal drug that it can’t be bad,” she said.

She said despite the obvious risks, young adults still find reason to engage in this risky behavior.

“The drug has rewarding or reinforcing effects — it makes you feel good, and that is the primary motivator to use the drug again,” Kantak said.

Emily Pazur, a College of Arts and Sciences freshman, said while she has seen evidence of a drinking culture on BU’s campus, she thinks BU officials do a good job of keeping rampant underage drinking at bay.

“There is a big alcohol culture, especially on college campuses,” she said. “… [But] BU does a good job of kind of scaring people into not drinking so much. They always say they’re increasing security, whatever that means. I definitely think there’s a presence on campus that prevents a lot of things from happening.”

Kevin Mannix, a College of Engineering sophomore, said drinking mishaps can be avoided if those involved have been properly educated about its risks.

“Drinking is a controlled substance, so it can be enjoyed in the right way,” he said. “… You’d be hard pressed to find a student who hasn’t drank at least one time in his or her life, and I think that with the right education and the right mindset and responsibility for yourself and the people around you, you can drink in a safe manner.”

He said students know about risks but may not heed them until at-risk drinking directly affects them or their friends.

“You hear all these stories and you don’t think its going to happen to you or the people that you know and that’s kind of when people start to realize … It takes an incident such as that for people to really understand,” he said. “It’s like walking by yourself at night.”