Alcohol Consumption and Control Policies at Intercollegiate Sporting Events

Colleges are concerned about disorderly behavior of drunken fans at sporting events. We examined alcohol consumption and control policies at intercollegiate sporting events, and the association between policy and consumption. Analyses were conducted on data from 10,743 students at 117 colleges fielding intercollegiate athletic teams in the 2001 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study student and administrator samples. Among students attending a sporting event (19.4% of the sample), 20.1% reported consuming alcohol at the last event they attended. Males, students under 24 years of age, fans, members of Greek organizations and binge drinkers were more likely to attend sporting events. Males, binge drinkers and students over the minimum legal drinking age were more likely to drink alcohol at a sporting event. More drinking at sporting events occurred at colleges that sold alcohol (24 colleges, Adjusted Odds Ratio = 1.60; 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.55), permitted tailgate parties (51 colleges, AOR = 1.63; 95% CI 1.13-2.34) and allowed spectators to bring in their own alcohol (1 college, AOR = 1.76; 95% CI 1.02-3.04). Among the 24 colleges selling alcohol at sporting events, most had restrictions on sales that included checking IDs (22), prohibiting outside alcohol (22), limiting the amount sold (19), and limiting the time alcohol was sold (22), but these efforts were not associated with extent of drinking. Ten colleges profited from alcohol sales, 9 did not, and 5 did not know. Limiting alcohol availability and restricting tailgate parties may reduce drinking at intercollegiate sporting events.