EFFECTS OF DRINKING AGE ON REDUCED CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL REPORTED BY COLLEGE-STUDENTS - 1981-1986

A survey of college students who visited Daytona Beach, Florida during spring break between the years 1981 and 1986 showed a significant drop in reported consumption of alcoholic beverages. Significant reductions were found for both males and females. Since more than thirty states changed their laws raising the drinking age during the period of the study, it was assumed that some of the drop in consumption might be accounted for by the increase in the drinking age. However, an analysis of variance failed to reject the null hypothesis of no significant interaction between the age of the respondent and the year of the study as a predictor of quantity-frequency of consumption. The author suggests that meaningful evaluation studies are needed to determine whether the growth in college alcohol education and prevention programs might better account for the recent decline in student consumption of alcohol and other drugs. © 1990, Florida State University College of Criminology and Criminal Justice. All rights reserved.