College Graduates Drink More, Poll Finds

According to a recent poll, college graduates drink more than those with a high school degree or less.

Gallup.com reports that 67 percent of people across the country imbibe alcohol, with 71 percent of college graduates reporting alcohol use and 58 percent of high school graduates.

Excessive drinking rates remain high on campus. In 2008, the Center for Science in the Public Interest reported that 44 percent of college students binge drink and full-time students are more likely to drink heavily than are those who either go to school part-time or not at all.

USA Today recently reported that schools are not doing much to combat student binge drinking. According to a University of Minnesota study, many college administrators responded in a survey that they made little to no effort to comply with the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's 2002 recommendations to curb student alcohol use.

What are your thoughts on these findings? Join the discussion below.

Comments

[InYourWorld]

07:00 PM on 08/05/2010

Of course, I spent 7 years practicing during my 4 year degree!

[FewL4no1]

07:08 AM on 08/05/2010

I was told by an old college professor before going into my undergraduate career that, "Undergrad is half school and half networking and refining social skills." And, as we all know, alcohol goes hand in hand with most college social occasions.

My worry is that HuffPo is framing articles like alcohol is a bad thing. Sure, binge drinking is hazardous to your health, but so is, say, binge studying? I would like to hear more research on the affects of Adderall and students going days without sleep to finish term papers. I have seen much more of that with my time in college, and I am sure that can't be good for a person either.

[getcaption]

12:14 PM on 08/05/2010

"My worry is that HuffPo is framing articles like alcohol is a bad thing."

It is a bad thing.

[FewL4no1]

06:29 PM on 08/05/2010

While I try to contain my laughter.....

I would love to know how exactly alcohol ITSELF is a bad thing. Reasons such as, "When people abuse alcohol..." is not a good reason. How is alcohol inherently bad?

[Steelsil]

11:41 PM on 08/04/2010

College graduates can AFFORD to drink more than those who didn't graduate from high school. Duh! Next up, college causes skiing and buying new cars.

[MJVs Common Sense]

11:21 PM on 08/04/2010

are we talking binge drinking? or they are just enlightened enough not to moralize a glass or two on a social occasion?

P.S. what is with the recent HuffPo obsession with college drinking? We've known about this forever. it's well documented, and college/universities have tried just about everything under the sun to get it to stop, but students always find a way (kinda like prohibition). Drinking habits start at home. Set an example for your kids. Don't moralize, model appropriate behavior.

And it wouldn't hurt of we lowered the drinking age to 18 so it would not longer be "cool by prohibition." them maybe people would stop treating it like a reputation builder. Just a thought.

[jonrice]

11:17 PM on 08/04/2010

Although it is a plausible guess to assume that college graduates drink more because they have money or are stressed about the economy, I’m going to step out and say that it’s the culture. For the average college student (my assumption), alcohol becomes a, if not major, part of your social life. Much of the best bonding in college occurs around alcohol; greek life, social events, concerts, etc. To push it even further, it is almost as if a sort of conditioning takes place; students work during the week for class, and then celebrate on the weekend with drinking.

Drinking is a part of college life. If one repeats this activity with little consequence for four years, it’s rational to assume that the behavior continues.

[mch321]

10:52 PM on 08/04/2010

I'll drink to that.

But seriously, it's the economy. I graduated at the end of 2008 with honors, and spent the subsequent year looking for employment. The entire year. I'm fortunate enough to have a job now, but the stark situation out there is enough to make you drink.

[carester]

07:11 PM on 08/04/2010

I'm kind of surprise, in a way. Although, now that I think about it...my brother is a HS graduate and doesn't drink at all; my husband (PhD) does drink, socially at least. But hey, it is just two people :-)

[headrush4you]

04:14 PM on 08/04/2010

If school's came down to hard on drinking, alot of school's wouldnt survive!

[MikeDu]

02:39 PM on 08/04/2010

I notice people are commenting on everything except the degree of self-indulgent pleasure seeking narsissism highlighted by these numbers. America, the culture that forgot the concept of self-restraint, personal dignity and discretion. Welcome to New Jersey.

[Ajax the Great]

09:28 PM on 08/04/2010

Jersey? What exit? LOL! Seriously, though, it's not just New Jersey. And so-called "binge drinking" is really nothing new. The drunkest decade in American history was 1900-1910, and the Founders drank so much it is amazing they could even write the Constitution.

[markopolio]

12:59 PM on 08/04/2010

Students Drink? Next you're going to tell me people do drugs.

[hagagaga]

10:14 AM on 08/04/2010

College graduates have more money. Alcoholic beverages cost money. Go figure...

[grod805]

12:47 PM on 08/04/2010

I doubt it has anything to do with income. People I know who didn't go to college and got jobs right after high school had more money (at least in during the years I was in college) and drank less.

[Lardin]

09:13 AM on 08/04/2010

"I'm shocked, shocked to find that there is gambling going on here"

[Comtesse Gigi]

09:34 AM on 08/04/2010

LMAO! Great movie, great line!!