US: Failing grade on alcohol

Amid the hubbub surrounding colleges' attempts to curb excessive drinking on college campuses, one surprising finding has come to light: drinking-related deaths have actually increased, write Ben Eisen and Stephanie Lee for Inside Higher Ed. The number of alcohol-related unintentional injury deaths among college-age students between 18 and 24 rose from 1,440 in 1998 to 1,825 in 2005, according to a study released last week.

Researchers from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism multiplied the number of 18- to 24-year-olds in the United States, as reported by the Census Bureau, by the estimated percentage of deaths among 18- to 24-year-olds that were alcohol-related, as provided by 331 medical examiner studies. That number was multiplied by 30%, since three-tenths of 18- to 24-year-olds are in college. Analysis of drinking habits and driving habits of college students versus non-college students found that those in college drank more and drove under the influence just as much, which led the researchers to conclude that college students suffered alcohol-related deaths as often as non-college students.
Full report on the Inside Higher Ed site