142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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310162
Reducing Availability of Extreme-Strength Alcohol to College Students

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Jane Binakonsky, J.D. , Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Molly Mitchell, J.D. , Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Michael Siegel, MD, MPH , Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA
David H. Jernigan, PhD , Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Background: College and university students drink and suffer alcohol-related consequences at rates higher than their non-college peers. Use of grain alcohol is reportedly popular among college students. States vary in the degree to which they make high-strength alcoholic beverages available.  A consortium of college and university presidents in Maryland sought a statewide ban on sales of grain alcohol of 190 proof or higher.

Methods: Legal research examined variation across states in regulation of grain alcohol. Literature searches were conducted to identify scientific articles on grain alcohol and college students; these were supplemented by Google news searches to identify anecdotal evidence. Participant observation documented Maryland’s effort to ban extreme-strength grain alcohol.

Results: At least 16 sixteen states ban the sale of grain alcohol, at proof levels varying from 101 to 190; methods differ between control and license states. There is very little scientific literature on college students and grain alcohol; results of a recent survey of youth (ages 13-20) alcohol consumption by brand found that binge-drinking youth were 36.5 times more likely to consume grain alcohol than non-binge-drinkers. Grain alcohol is available in Maryland for as little as $.38 per standard drink if purchased in large quantities. The college presidents’ efforts to ban extreme-strength grain alcohol gained substantial media coverage and widespread and bi-partisan support.

Conclusion: Given the low price and high strength of grain alcohol, actions to limit its availability to college students can contribute to other efforts to prevent and reduce alcohol problems in this population.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Describe the dangers specific to consumption of high-strength grain alcohol among college and university students Identify different methods used by states to limit the availability of grain alcohol

Keyword(s): Alcohol Use, College Students

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am an attorney who did primary legal research in support of the policy change campaign described in this presentation. I am very interested in and developing a career in the application of legal strategies to the prevention of alcohol-related problems.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5006.0: College Drinking: Issues & Interventions