Educating about alcohol

By The Daily Progress

Published: October 20, 2008

So much for the “Animal House” stereotype of the drunken college student.

Turns out that non-students may be equally at risk when it comes to dangerous drinking. By some measures, their risk may be even higher than their college peers.
The information comes from the Century Council, a not-for-profit organization funded by distillers and dedicated to fighting drunken driving and underage drinking. The group has surveyed young adults, ages 18-24, and compared behaviors based on whether the respondents were college students or were non-students.
The non-students reported drinking more frequently. And binge drinking was higher among non-students.

Additionally, non-students started drinking at an earlier age — at 15.9 years old, vs. 16.7 years for those who went on to college.
That suggests that the two groups start differentiating in high school.
It’s not college that is the deciding factor — at least not directly. Those who go on for further education may be more strongly motivated, and better equipped, to exercise some discipline over their drinking, knowing that their futures depend on a clear-headed ability to get good grades, to get good degrees, to get good jobs.

Plus, alcohol education is often directed at college students. And college students are massed on campuses in ways that make delivering alcohol education to them an efficient proposition.
Alcohol education needs to be stepped up in high school in order to help both groups, says the Century Council.
Those who are destined not to go to college need the warnings sooner — before the average age of 15.9 years.

If they don’t go to college, they’re not likely to be in the position to receive those warnings later.