College Drinking Statistics

Although popular culture loves to glamorize humorous college drinking in film and television, the sad reality is that this drinking leaves lives of students in ruins, damages the college or university, the surrounding community, and other student’s college experience as well.

• Death: Including drunken driving crashes, nearly 1,400 college students pass away annually in accidents stemming from alcohol related incidents.


• Injury: Besides the nearly 1,400 college students killed annually, over half a million persons between the ages of 18 and 24 suffer unintentional injuries while drinking alcohol.


• Assault: When assaults occur amongst people aged 18 to 24, nearly six hundred thousand of the incidents involve alcohol.


• Sexual Abuse: In the average year, above 70,000 college students ages 18-24 become victim of date rape or sexual assault involving alcohol.


• Unsafe Sex: When alcohol is involved in college student’s sex relations, nearly half a million students reported having unprotected sex, and of those, nearly one hundred thousand students related they were too intoxicated to know if they consented to the sex.


• Academic Problems: Nearly a quarter of college students relate they have had academic failures and shortcomings due to their drinking including exam failure, lack of attendance, and falling behind in courses.


• Health Problems/Suicide Attempts: Of all college students, almost one to one and a half percent of students cite they have attempted suicide due in part to their alcohol or drug usage. Nearly 150,000 students begin to feel the affects of alcohol related health issues while in college.


• Drunk Driving: An estimated over two million college students operated motor vehicles while under the influence of alcohol in the year 2001.


• Vandalism: Over ten percent of college students who drink alcohol reported having vandalized property while under the affects of alcohol.


• Property Damage: Property damage is a moderate to major issue at colleges, as over half the schools with heavy drinking levels report these issues.


• Police Involvement: Annually, over one hundred thousand students are arrested for alcohol-involved crimes. Nearly five to four percent of college students are also simply involved with police or campus law enforcement as a consequence of their alcohol consumption.


• Alcohol Abuse and Dependence: According to self-reporting questionnaires, college students reported extreme levels of alcohol abuse, and in fact, over thirty percent of the students polled would receive a diagnosis for alcohol abuse and over six percent suffered from alcohol dependence

College drinking statistics are on the rise. If you are a college student who has been charged for drinking and driving, contact one of our experienced drunk driving lawyers in your area today!

Updated LV

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College drinking statistics are on the rise. If you are a college student who has been charged for drinking and driving, contact one of our experienced drunk driving attorneys in your area today!