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Class-Level Differences in Alcohol and Drug Use Among
CU-Boulder Undergraduates Spring 1998

1. Students drink more in the earlier years of college. Lower-division students are more likely to binge when drinking and to drink to get drunk.


2. Upper-division students are more likely to have ever thought they had a drinking problem, even though they currently drink less than lower division students.


3. Upper-division students are more likely to drink and drive (note that upper-division students are more likely to live off-campus and have access to their own cars).


4. Lower division students report more consequences of drinking, like missing a class or doing something they later regret.


5. Freshmen in particular seem most likely to:
   • Miss a class.
   • Do something they later regret.
   • Argue with friends.
   • Engage in unplanned sex.
   • Damage property.
6. Negative consequences of others’ drinking are largest in the earlier years of college. In particular, lower-division students are more likely to be the victim of an unwanted advance or to have to “babysit” a drunk fellow student.

                			     Fr	      So       Jr       Sr	Trends over
										Class Level
 Total Number                               106       92       99       95

Alcohol and Drug Consumption by 
Students -  % Who:
 Abstain                                     8%      16%      11%       8%			
 Drank, but did not binge                   26%      30%      29%      40%
 Binged 1-2 times in the past two weeks     26%      22%      25%      27%
 Binged 3 or more times in past 2 weeks     41%      32%      35%      26%

 Drank 10 or more times in past month       26%      31%      34%      36%
 Usually binge when drinking                69%      43%      39%      26%		-
 Drunk 3 or more times in the past month    50%      42%      35%      33%		-
 Drink to get drunk                         80%      69%      77%      56%		-
 Consider themselves problem drinkers        0%       1%       0%       1%
 Ever thought they had a drinking problem    2%       9%      15%      14%		+

 Drove after drinking in past month         13%      26%      43%      52%		+
 Drove after 5+ drinks in past month         2%      10%      10%      13%
 Rode with drunk/high driver past month     29%      35%      32%      31%

 Smoked cigarettes in past month            40%      37%      39%      34%
 Used marijuana in past month               33%      33%      39%      28%
 Used any drug past month (including MJ)    39%      36%      42%      32%

					    Fr	     So	      Jr       Sr	Trends over
										Class Level
Total Number                               106       92       99       95

% of Students Reporting Drinking 
has Caused Them to:
 Have a hangover                            74%      75%      74%      78%
 Miss a class                               56%      41%      48%      36%		-
 Get behind in schoolwork                   40%      37%      38%      33%
 Do something they regret                   54%      41%      42%      37%		-
 Argue with friends                         38%      23%      31%      21%		-
 Engage in unplanned sex                    39%      28%      31%      29%		-
 Engage in unprotected sex                   8%      12%      11%      13%
 Damage property                            24%      13%      15%       8%		-
 Into trouble with police                   13%      12%       1%       5%		-
 Get hurt or injured                        27%       8%      24%      14%
 Medical treatment for overdose              1%       0%       0%       1%
 Had 5 or more alcohol-related problems     39%      24%      35%      25%
    (excluding hangover but including
     drinking after driving)

% of Students who have Experienced Problems 
Due to Other Students’ Drinking:
 Been insulted/humiliated                   43%      30%      40%      34%
 Serious argument or quarrel                40%      24%      34%      22%
 Been pushed/hit/assaulted                  21%      17%      18%      16%
 Had property damaged                       22%      30%      22%      18%
 Had to ‘babysit’ drunk                     80%      62%      58%      49%		-
 Interrupted studying/sleep                 82%      60%      47%      53%		-
 Victim of unwanted advance                 41%      28%      35%      33%		-
 Victim of sexual assault/date rape          7%       0%       3%       2%

Alcohol Survey Index

Last revision 07/08/05