Patterns of on-campus alcohol-related offenses among undergraduates

Background. The peak in alcohol use during the college years is associated with significant physical and social consequences. The purpose of this study was to determine patterns in alcohol-related offenses among undergraduates at a large university campus. Of particular interest was whether alcohol-related offenses were related to campus events. Methods. Data were obtained from the university police department from 2010-2012 on three types of alcohol-related offenses (N=765): public intoxication (PI, 62%), consumption of alcohol by a minor (CAM, 32%), and possession of alcohol by a minor (PAM, 5%). Information included the date, time, and address of the infraction. Results. Offenses were evenly split across the fall and spring semesters (approximately 38% each semester) and were less frequent in the summer (14%) and between semesters (9%). As expected, more offenses occurred on the weekend (62%) compared with during the week (p<.01), but Thursday nights also accounted for 21% of the offenses. Patterns also emerged in regards to alcohol-related offenses and campus events. In the fall, PAM offenses were more likely to occur on days when there was a home football game (p<.005), while CAM and PI offenses were similar. Of the 181 offenses that occurred on the day of a football game (either home or away), PAM offenses were more likely to occur on the days of a football team loss (p<.05). Conclusions. Findings support the need to target interventions to prevent alcohol-related offenses among undergraduates, particularly for those students at risk for a possession of alcohol by a minor citation.