The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions.

NCADD News Release

For More Information, Contact: Ames Sweet, Director of Communications 212/269-7797, ext. 16

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Immediate Release April 9, 2002

NIAAA REPORT TARGETS DANGERS OF COLLEGE DRINKING NEW YORK, NY -–Underage and excessive college drinking is a critical public health issue in America, with consequences far more destructive than commonly realized. According to a new study released today by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, drinking by college students age 18-24 contributes to an estimated 1,400 student deaths, 500,000 injuries, and 70,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape each year. The report also cites alcohol as a contributing factor in academic problems, health problems and suicide attempts, vandalism, property damage, and police involvement. According to the report, 2.1 million students aged 18-24 drove a car last year while under the influence of alcohol, and 31% of college students met criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse, with an additional 6% meeting criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol dependence. While the issue of underage and excessive college drinking is a complex problem -- one which can only be solved through a sustained and cooperative effort between parents, schools, community leaders, and the students themselves -- the NIAAA report recommends that, to succeed, schools must intervene at three levels: the individual student, the entire student body and the surrounding community. The report, commissioned by the NIAAA Task Force on College Drinking, articulates a number of strategies that have proven to be effective in these three areas and highlights some areas of promising research. “The consequences of excessive drinking are far too common on many college campuses nationwide, and efforts to reduce high-risk drinking and its related problems have largely failed,” says Task Force co-chair Mark Goldman, Ph.D., Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology at the University of South Florida. “But we need not accept high-risk drinking on our campuses as inevitable. If colleges and communities work together, they can change these harmful drinking patterns. We hope this report will help them do that, by providing tools to help them make more informed decisions.” Underage and excessive college drinking has long been a concern of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, and this report underscores the need for better interventions against high-risk drinking in this population. “As a society, we’ve got to do a far better job persuading our citizens and our young people that alcohol use is a dead end, that they are playing Russian roulette, not only with their own lives, but with the lives of friends, neighbors, and loved ones,” says Stacia Murphy, President of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. “Unfortunately, as many as 360,000 of the nation’s 12 million undergraduates will ultimately die from alcohol-related causes. This is more than the total number who will be awarded advanced degrees.” “These numbers paint a picture of a deeply entrenched threat to the health and well-being of our young people,” adds Raynard S. Kingston, M.D., Ph.D., Acting Director of NIAAA. “This study, and the NIH report released today are an urgent call-to-action for educators, researchers, students and society in general.” The report, titled “A Call to Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges,” is available at www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov, or may be ordered by calling NIAAA at 301-443-3860. Founded in 1944, NCADD fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions. With offices in New York and Washington, DC, NCADD provides education, information, help and hope to the public, and advocates prevention, intervention, and treatment through a nationwide network of 95 Affiliates. For more information, visit: www.ncadd.org. ###

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

244 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022 phone: 212/269-7797   fax: 212/269-7510 email: national@ncadd.org   http://www.ncadd.org HOPE LINE: 800/NCA-CALL (24-hour Affiliate referral)