Magnitude of alcohol-related mortality and morbidity among US college students ages 18-24

Objective This report estimates the numbers of 18-24 Near old United State, college students who annually experience alcohol-related deaths. injuries and other health problem,,. Method: we examined traffic and unintentional injury deaths in 1998 reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Centers for Disease Control (CDU) We also examined results of national coroner studies. Department of Education college enrollment data. the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). the CDC National College Health Risk Behavior Survey and the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Survey; (CAS), All surrey participants were ages 18-24: 0,L)30 college and 12.394 noncollege respondents in the NHSDA Survey: 3,077 college students in the CDC survey and 12.217 full-time 4-year col lege students in the CAS. Based on the number and proportion of 18-24 year (Ads enrolled in college, data on alcohol involvement in injury deaths among 18-24 Near olds and survey responses. we calculated the number, of 18-24 year old alcohol-related injury deaths and other health problems Results: we estimate that over 1.400 students aged 18-24 and enrolled in 2- and 4-year colleges died in 1998 from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes. According, to surveys conducted in 1999. in the preccding Near. mer 2 million of the 8 million college students in the United States drove under the influence of alcohol and mer 3 million rode with a drinking driver. Over 500,000 full-time 4-year college students were unintentionally injured under the influence of alcohol and over 600,000 eve hit or assaulted by another student who had been drinking, Conclusions : There is an urgent need for expanding prevention and treatment programs. to reduce alcohol-related harm among U,S. college Students and other young adults. (J. Stud Alcohol 63: 1 16-144 2002).