What We Have Learned about Drinking Among College Students from two decades of research with the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study

In the 25 years since the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs section of the American Public Health Association was formed, considerable research has advanced the understanding of heavy alcohol consumption and its health consequences among college students. The Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS) was a groundbreaking study that made significant contributions to this literature. CAS researchers surveyed a nationally representative sample of students attending four year colleges in the United States four times between 1993 and 2001, collecting data from more than 50,000 students and publishing more than 80 scientific papers. Contributions of the CAS include: (1) documenting the extent of the problem, (2) establishing the public health importance of focusing on lower drink thresholds, such as the 5/4 measure of binge drinking, and the harms produced at this level of drinking for drinkers, (3) recognizing the second hand effects of student drinking experienced by other students and neighborhood residents, and (4) documenting the important role played by the college environment in promoting heavy drinking by students, including campus culture, alcohol control policies, enforcement of policies, access, availability, pricing, marketing, and special promotions of alcohol.