New Research Shows Frequent Heavy Alcohol Consumption by College Students Sharply Increases Risk of Injury

One recent study estimated that more than 500,000 U.S. college students suffered alcohol-related injuries in 2001. Additional research reported on MedPage Today shows that male college students increase their risk of an injury by 19% for every day of drinking eight or more drinks. For females, the risk increased by 10% for every day of drinking five or more drinks. In other words, it's not just the quantity of alcohol alone or frequency of consumption alone. Rather, a drinking pattern of frequent extreme intoxication causes injury rate to escalate rapidly. At the highest levels, the research found, males who drank nine or more drinks per day on 11 or more occasions in the previous 28 days had a 43% chance of an alcohol-related injury over the previous six months.

Results of the research are available online in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

The message for parents? If you suspect your college-aged son or daughter has a drinking problem - get them help fast. It could save their life.