Recent Collegiate Study Says “Normal” Not To Drink

by Chris Austin

RALEIGH - A recent survey on health behaviors at North Carolina State University found the perception that college students drink in high-risk ways on a regular basis is actually a misperception.

Survey findings from the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment for NC State (Spring 2006) report 55 percent of men and 67 percent of women who participated in the survey consumed between zero to three drinks the last time he or she “partied” or socialized. Based on that last social event, 66 percent of men and 65 percent of women had a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of less than .08. Twenty percent of each sex reported no consumption of alcohol ever.

The results for tobacco and marijuana usage are similar. Fifty-nine percent of men and 63 percent of women reported he or she had never smoked a cigarette. Those numbers increase even more when asked the same question about marijuana: to 66 percent of men and 70 percent of women. The data suggest college students are not necessarily substance abusers.

“The majority of students are making good decisions about their health a majority of the time,” Stephanie Sobol, associate director of Health Promotion at NC State, stated. “When one person slips up, we tend to make a blanket assumption that all students behave the same way. Research proves otherwise, and it’s our mission to send that message.”

According to the survey, college students do misperceive student use. When students reported their substance use over a 30-day period and then guessed how much they thought the typical student on campus within the same time period use, there was a gap between what was reported and what was perceived.

Twenty percent of students reported abstaining from substance use; the perception was that only 3 percent did not drink, use drugs, or tobacco. While less than one percent said he or she used alcohol on a daily basis, perceived daily use for the typical student was 39 percent.

“When I first came to college I saw things in a similar way. I thought most students drank more often than they did,” said 19 year old NC State student Sombat Southivorarat. “Now that I’m a sophomore I kind of see the rates of drinking are lower than what I thought it was. People either don’t drink or only drink occasionally, and the ones known for drinking are really just one guy out of the whole group.”

Results from several universities across the state have found similar results (NC Campus Core Survey 2002). Students, however, do not deny there is still substance abuse on campuses statewide, but many feel media members and health experts spin the numbers to create more attention, and thus, make it more of a problem.

Senior Wake Forest University Student Blakely Offutt says numbers are not necessarily the key. She says, “I don’t feel as though talking about ‘better’ statistics would help. College students will always and have always been big drinkers. The only thing I can think of that might help is to encourage responsible decision making and the consequences of substance abuse.”

“‘Social Norms’ are commonly accepted behavior. College students tend to stretch what is considered and perceived to be normal.”

For more information about social norms go to: www.socialnorm.org.

The Next Step
Winter 2007

Recent Collegiate Study Says “Normal” Not To Drink

Links

The Next Step Winter 2007

Recent Collegiate Study Says “Normal” Not To Drink

Links

The Next Step
Winter 2007