Student Drinking
Spring 2015
INTRODUCTION
This survey, conducted by Student Affairs Research and Assessment, provides data on alcohol use and high-risk
drinking behavior of undergraduate students at University Park. Survey questions focus on students' alcohol
consumption, the direct and indirect consequences of that consumption, and protective and risk behaviors
associated with drinking. While this topic has been assessed regularly since 1995, the survey was significantly
revised in 2008 with the assistance of Dr. Rob Turrisi and staff in the Penn State Prevention Research Center and has
been conducted bi-annually since that year. Although some pre-2008 comparisons can be made, other findings are
only comparable to data gathered since 2008. Primarily, 2013 data (the most recent prior administration) are
presented
in
this report
for
comparison.
Data
from
other
years
are
available
at
http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/assessment/alphapulse.shtml.
This survey was administered by email/web. At University Park, a random sample of 5,000 undergraduate students
was invited to participate. In total, 873 students completed the survey for a 17.5% response rate. The confidence
interval for the resulting sample is +/-3.27%. Of the respondents, 55.5% were female and 44.4% were male (one
student identified as transgender); 58.6% were 18 to 20 years old; 55.3% lived off campus. White domestic students
made up 77.2% of the respondents, domestic students of color made up 16.3%, and 5.2% were international
students (1.3% were of unknown race).
FINDINGS
Alcohol Consumption
Prevalence of Alcohol Use

When asked how they would best describe their alcohol usage, the majority of students (69.1%) reported
being either “light” or “moderate” drinkers (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Students' Self-Reported Drinking Behavior
2011
2013
2015
Percentage
60%
50%
38.7% 39.2%
40%
30%
33.5%
23.3% 23.9% 22.1%
29.5%
44.3%
24.8%
20%
4.6%
10%
7.5% 8.7%
0%
Never tried or don't
currently drink
Light drinkers
Moderate drinkers
Heavy drinkers
Penn State Pulse is a project of Student Affairs Research and Assessment.
For further information, please visit www.studentaffairs.psu.edu/assessment or contact
saraoffice@psu.edu, 120 Boucke, University1Park, PA 16802, (814) 863-1809.
U.Ed. STA 15-58
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

In addition, 59.5% indicated they had tried alcohol (more than a few sips) prior to the age of 18.
While 19.1% reported they have never gotten drunk, 44.8% had gotten drunk for the first time prior to the
age of 18.
Quantity of Consumption
Students were asked about their drinking behavior on
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights of a
typical week during this academic year.
 Roughly two-thirds of students reported drinking on Friday and Saturday nights of a typical week, whereas
17.0% reported drinking on Wednesday nights and 42.2% on Thursday nights (Table 1).
 The percentage of students who reported drinking on a given night was slightly higher in 2015 than 2013
(Table 1).
 The average number of drinks per hour for students who drink on a given night was slightly higher than it was
in 2013 and 2011 (Figure 2).
 The Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) levels of students who drink were higher on the weekends at .094 on Friday
and 0.096 on Saturday nights compared to .046 on Wednesday and .072 on Thursday evenings (Table 1).
 The BAC levels of students for each night in the 2015 administration were slightly higher than those of
students in 2013 (Table 1).
Table 1. Nightly Alcohol Use During a Typical Week
% Who are Drinking
Avg. # of Drinks
Night
2013
2015
2013
2015
Wednesday
13.5
17.0
0.42
0.60
Thursday
37.0
42.2
1.64
1.88
Friday
66.3
70.0
3.76
4.18
Saturday
66.6
70.0
3.91
4.30
Avg. # of Hours
2013
2015
0.32
0.39
1.18
1.32
2.69
2.82
2.83
2.99
Avg. BAC*
2013
2015
0.045
0.046
0.069
0.072
0.088
0.094
0.090
0.096
* BAC is reported for drinkers only. All other data in this table represent all respondents.
Figure 2. Avg. Number of Drinks Per Hour (Drinkers only)
Drinks per Hour
2.5
2011
2.0
1.5
1.3
1.3
1.4
1.4
1.4
2013
1.5
2015
1.4
1.5
1.5
1.4
1.4
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Students were also asked how many times they got drunk during a typical month of the current academic
year and of their senior year in high school (Figure 3).
 During the current academic year, 24.6% of students indicated they got drunk on 7 or more days during a
typical month, whereas 26.3% indicated they don’t drink or didn’t get drunk.
 In comparison, 57.6% of students reported that they did not get drunk during a typical month of their senior
year in high school and only 4.1% got drunk 7 or more days.
 White students, students of legal drinking age, and off-campus students reported getting drunk significantly
more frequently during a typical month of the current academic year than their respective counterparts
(analysis not shown).
2
Figure 3. Number of Days Students Got Drunk During a Typical Month
70%
57.6%
Percentage
60%
Senior Year of High School
Current Academic Year
50%
40%
26.3%
30%
24.8%
24.6%
21.7%
20%
9.6%
10%
14.6%
12.9%
4.1%
3.8%
0%
Never/don't/didn't drink 1 to 2 days
3 to 4 days
5 to 6 days
7 or more days
Peak Drinking Behavior
Students were asked to report on the occasion when they drank the most in the previous three months. On
that occasion, students averaged 7.84 drinks over 3.93 hours.
 58.2% of students who drink consumed two or less drinks per hour (Figure 4) during peak drinking occasions,
with an overall average of 2.15 drinks per hour, compared to an average of 2.12 in 2013.
Figure 4. Drinks Consumed per Hour During Peak Drinking (Drinkers Only)
2011
50%
2013
2015
44.1% 44.1%
42.9%
Percentage
40%
30%
20%
22.1%
21.3% 19.6%
14.1%
20.1%
22.2%
16.3%
13.7%
14.5%
10%
0%
>0 to ≤ 1 drinks
>1 to ≤ 2 drinks
> 2 to ≤ 3 drinks
> 3 drinks
 Students, on average, reported drinking at this peak volume 3.11 times during the three-month period with
46.1% drinking at a peak level 1 to 2 times, 16.5% 3 to 4 times, and 16.8% 5 or more times (with 20.4%
reporting they didn’t drink).
 While 20.4% of students who drink (compared to 22.4% in 2013) reported peak drinking behavior resulting in a
BAC of .079 or lower (below the legal limit of .080), 21.5% indicated a BAC of .250 or higher (Figure 5).
Figure 5. Blood Alcohol Content of Drinkers During Peak Drinking
Experience
20.4%
21.5%
BAC
≥ .250
BAC:
≤.079
BAC:
BAC:
.160 - .249 .080 - .159
29.0%
A BAC of:
.040 - .079
Can cause:
Lower inhibition, minor reasoning
impairment
.080 - .159
Impaired balance, speech,
judgement, reasoning, reaction time
.160 - .249
Nauseau, anxiety, disorientation,
vomiting, memory loss
29.0%
3
High-Risk Drinking
High-risk, or binge drinking, is defined as having four or more drinks in a two-hour period for women and five
or more drinks in a two-hour period for men. Frequent high-risk drinkers are those students who report
having binged three or more times during a two-week period. Occasional high-risk drinkers are those who
report having binged one or two times during a two-week period.
 About half of the respondents (51.3%) reported engaging in high-risk drinking behavior in the previous two
weeks with 23.9% being classified as frequent high-risk drinkers (Figure 6).
Figure 6. Number of Times Students Engaged in High-Risk Drinking
During a Two-Week Period
70%
Percentage
60%
2011
52.5%
2013
2015
56.2%
48.7%
50%
40%
28.8% 27.3% 27.4%
30%
12.6% 10.7% 15.0%
20%
6.0% 5.9%
10%
8.9%
0%
0/don't drink
1-2 times
3-4 times
5 or more times
 The 2015 data indicate a slight increase in high-risk drinking compared to 43.9% in 2013 and 47.4% in 2011.
 Similar to previous years, men engaged in high-risk drinking at a greater rate than women (56.6% compared to
47.0% respectively) (Figure 7).
 The 2008-13 high-risk drinking rates are lower than what had been reported in recent years (58.9% in 2006,
55.2% in 2004, and 60.4% in 2003). The question, however, was revised in 2008 which may account for the
difference. Since 2008, the question has been based on the number of drinks consumed during “a two-hour
period” as compared to “in one sitting” or “in a row” that had been asked in the previous years.
Figure 7. Percentage of Male and Female Students
Who Engage in High-Risk Drinking
Men
70%
Percentage
65%
60%
59.0%
60.6%
54.0%
55%
52.0%
50%
56.6%
52.6%
46.5%
48.1%
45%
40%
Women
42.5%
46.4%
2008
2009
2010
2011
47.0%
41.7%
2013
2015
 As depicted in Figure 8, men and White students were more likely to report engaging in high-risk drinking
behavior than their counterparts. Off-campus students were significantly more likely than on-campus students
to report engaging in high-risk drinking.
 Evidence suggests a significant inverse relationship between high-risk drinking and GPA (Figure 8).
4
Figure 8. Percentage of High-Risk Drinkers within Groups
Men
Women
56.6%
47.0%
White students
Students of Color
53.7%
43.7%
Off-campus
On-campus
51.7%
50.8%
21 & older
Under 21
53.4%
49.7%
GPA < 3.00
GPA 3.00-3.29
GPA 3.30-3.59
GPA 3.60-4.00
50.2%
58.7%
57.5%
40.1%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Percent
Perceptions of Alcohol Use
Students were asked how much alcohol they think a typical Penn State student of their same sex consumes
on a typical Thursday, Friday, or Saturday evening. These perceptions of alcohol use are compared to the
actual reported behavior for female and male students in Figure 9. As demonstrated, students perceive a
higher quantity of alcohol consumed than what is actually reported, a trend that is consistent over time (data
not shown). In addition, both women's and men's perceptions in 2015 are similar to previous years (data not
shown).
Figure 9. Perceptions vs. Reported Behavior by Gender:
Average Number of Drinks Consumed in a Typical Evening
Perception of others' drinking
Own reported behavior
Number of Drinks
Men
Women
7.1
6.9
5.1
3.9
3.5
2.2
Thursday
5.7
5.7
5.4
3.4
3.5
Friday
Saturday
1.6
Friday
Saturday
Thursday
Consequences of Alcohol Use
Students were also asked about a series of consequences of alcohol use–both direct (resulting from their own
drinking) and indirect (resulting from other students’ drinking)1.
1
These questions are used with permission from the Harvard School of Health.
5
Indirect Consequences
All students were asked about experiencing consequences as a result of other students’ drinking during the
current academic year. These questions have been used in drinking surveys since 2003, and data from 2008,
2011, and 2013 are provided for comparison.
 63.4% of students reported having had to ‘baby-sit’ a student who drank too much (Table 2).
 55.1% had their studying or sleep interrupted during this academic year (Table 2).
 33.6% had been insulted or humiliated (Table 2).
 27.5% had had a serious argument or quarrel as a result of someone else’s drinking (Table 2).
 From 2003 (not shown) to 2008, there was a general upward trend in negative indirect consequences. Those
consequences have generally declined since 2008 (Table 2).
Table 2. Percentages of Students Experiencing Indirect Consequences from Other Students’ Drinking
Indirect Consequences
2008 (%)
2011 (%)
2013 (%)
2015 (%)
Had to ‘baby-sit’ a student who drank too much
65.7
62.7
57.5
63.4
Had your studying or sleep interrupted
66.0
59.7
55.7
55.1
Been insulted or humiliated
40.6
36.4
32.1
33.6
Had a serious argument or quarrel
38.6
30.9
24.0
27.5
Had your property damaged
21.9
17.0
17.9
16.8
Been pushed, hit, or assaulted
17.7
14.0
12.4
13.7
Been a victim of unwanted sexual experience
5.5
6.2
6.3
5.9
Direct Consequences
All participants reported on a variety of physical, academic, interpersonal, legal, and sexual consequences
they experienced as a result of their own drinking during the current academic year2.
 64.9% reported having had a hangover or headache the morning after drinking, slightly higher to the level in
2011 (60.5%) and 2013(60.4), but lower than in 2008 (68.1%) (Table 3).
 About a half reported having felt sick to their stomach or thrown up (51.1%) and being unable to remember
part of the previous evening (50.7%) (Table 3).
 24.9% reported missing a class because of their alcohol use, compared to 22.8% in 2013 (Table 3).
 33.1% reported doing something they later regretted, compared to 31.0% in 2013 (Table 3).
Table 3. Percentages of Students Experiencing Physical, Academic & Interpersonal Consequences
Direct Consequences: Physical
2008 (%) 2011 (%) 2013 (%) 2015 (%)
Had a hangover/headache the morning after drinking
68.1
60.5
60.4
64.9
Felt sick to your stomach or thrown up
49.3
45.1
47.3
51.1
Been unable to remember a part of the previous evening
48.1
43.0
46.4
50.7
Been hurt or injured
14.6
12.3
15.8
16.7
Gotten into a physical fight
7.3
5.8
4.9
3.1
Direct Consequences: Academic
Missed class
32.4
25.2
22.8
24.9
Gotten behind in school work
26.4
22.0
18.2
21.3
Had difficulty concentrating in class
24.2
19.8
15.5
17.7
Performed poorly on an assignment or test
15.6
12.6
10.9
11.5
Direct Consequences: Interpersonal
Done something you later regretted
37.1
29.8
31.0
33.1
Become rude, obnoxious, or insulting
36.5
28.5
25.3
26.4
Felt guilty about your drinking
28.4
22.8
22.3
25.1
2
These percentages represent all respondents. In several cases, the questions asked were also asked in previous surveys on student drinking.
Comparison data are available.
6
 In addition, 3.6% indicated they had driven under the influence, a substantial decrease from 2008 (7.4%)
(Table 4).
 4.5% reported having damaged property or set off a false alarm (Table 4).
 Moreover, 8.7% reported having had sex when they didn’t really want to, and 3.6% had been pressured or
forced to have sex with someone when they had been too drunk to prevent it (Table 4).
 Lastly, and similar to findings from previous years, students who engaged in high-risk drinking were
significantly more likely to experience all of the consequences when compared to non-high-risk drinkers.
Frequent high-risk drinkers were at the greatest risk (analysis not shown).
Table 4. Percentages of Students Experiencing Legal & Sexual Consequences from Drinking
Direct Consequences: Legal
2008 (%) 2011 (%) 2013 (%)
Driven under the influence
7.4
4.7
4.6
Damaged property or set off a false alarm
6.3
4.5
4.1
Gotten in trouble at school
5.9
4.4
3.5
Gotten in trouble with the police
5.3
4.3
2.5
Direct Consequences: Sexual
Had sex when you didn’t really want to
9.3
8.0
7.1
Been pressured or forced to have sex with someone when
3.2
3.1
2.7
you were too drunk to prevent it
Pressured or forced someone to have sex with you after
2.6
1.9
1.4
you had been drinking
2015 (%)
3.6
4.5
3.5
3.3
8.7
3.6
1.8
Protective and Risk Behaviors
Another section of the survey included questions regarding protective and risk behaviors when drinking
alcohol. The following findings represent only students who drink. The percentages are for those students
who indicated they “usually” or “always” engage in these behaviors. More responsible drinking is associated
with a higher percentage and with a higher average score.
 With the exceptions of students intentionally eating food before drinking (74.9% “usually” or “always”) and
keeping track of how many drinks they have had (48.8%), most students do not frequently practice protective
behaviors that will reduce their risks related to alcohol (Table 5).
 For example, typically students “rarely” or “sometimes” (based on the average scores) alternate drinking
alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic beverages, pace their drinking to no more than one drink per hour, think
about their BAC to reduce risks, or intentionally mix their drinks with less alcohol than “normal” (Table 5).
 In general, the percentages of students practicing protective behaviors increased from 2008 to 2011 (not
shown), suggesting possible positive impacts of educational efforts, but have plateaued somewhat since 2011.
Table 5. Protective Behaviors When Drinking (Drinkers Only)
Behavior
Intentionally eat food or a meal before drinking
Keep track of how many drinks you’ve had
Set a personal limit of how many drinks you’ll have during
a drinking occasion
Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or other nonalcoholic beverages
Think about your BAC in order to reduce risks associated
with alcohol consumption
Intentionally mix your drinks with less alcohol than
“normal”
Pace your drinking to no more than one drink per hour
% “Usually” or “Always”
2013
2015
74.0
74.9
53.4
48.8
Average*
2013
3.89
3.43
2015
3.91
3.31
33.0
28.1
2.83
2.76
23.3
24.4
2.62
2.70
17.9
15.9
2.21
2.21
16.5
15.9
2.48
2.52
18.8
14.5
2.42
2.37
* Scale: 1=never, 2=rarely, 3=sometimes, 4=usually, 5=always. The higher the average the more frequently students are engaging in
drinking behaviors that will reduce their risk.
7
In Table 6, data related to risk behaviors associated with alcohol consumption are provided. The percentages
are for those students who indicated they “rarely” or “never” engage in these behaviors. More responsible
drinking is associated with a higher percentage. The opposite is true for the average scores; the lower average
is associated with more responsible drinking behavior.
 Of students who drink, 59.3% reported that they “rarely” or “never” chug alcohol, and 32.3% seldom choose a
drink containing a higher alcohol concentration. However, only 18.4% reported the same when asked about
playing drinking games, indicating that playing drinking games is the most common risk behavior among
drinkers (Table 6).
 In addition, only 19.6% of students who drink are unlikely to “pre-game,” and only 20.0% are unlikely to do
shots (Table 6).
 These percentages demonstrate an increase in risk behaviors since 2011 (not shown).
Table 6. Risk Behaviors When Drinking (Drinkers Only)
% “Never” or “Rarely”
2013
2015
66.1
59.3
38.2
32.3
26.8
20.0
27.6
19.6
24.6
18.4
Behavior
Chug alcohol (e.g., keg stands, beer funnels)
Choose a drink containing a higher alcohol concentration
Do shots
“Pre-game” (start drinking before going out)
Play drinking games
Average*
2013
2.09
2.71
3.18
3.26
3.18
2015
2.29
2.85
3.39
3.55
3.30
* Scale: 1=never, 2=rarely, 3=sometimes, 4=usually, 5=always. The lower the average, the more frequently students are engaging in
drinking behaviors that will reduce their risk
Bystander Behaviors
A new section added to this year’s survey included questions regarding bystander behaviors when a student
was in a situation that felt “off” about others drinking alcohol. In the past year, 25.0% of students indicated
they have “occasionally” or “often” been in a situation feeling “off” about others drinking. In table 7 and 8,
data related to concepts in determining students’ decision to intervene are provided.
 Students indicated that when determining to intervene, it is “somewhat important” or “very important” for
them to prevent the situation from escalating (87.4%) and to want someone to help them in that situation
(86.3%) (Table 7).
Table 7. Motivations for Intervening When Feeling “Off” About Other’s Drinking
Percent “Somewhat” or
Concept
“Very” Important
To prevent the situation from escalating
87.4
I would want someone to help me in that situation
86.3
It would be my duty to intervene
75.7
Someone (e.g., parents or someone at the university) told me
63.2
that’s what I should do in this kind of situation
Average*
3.31
3.37
2.93
2.72
* Scale: 1=very unimportant, 2=somewhat unimportant, 3=somewhat important, 4=very important.
 94.1% of students “agreed” or “somewhat agreed” that they like thinking of themselves as someone who
helps others when they can and 92.1% of agreed that it is important for all students to play a role in keeping
each other safe (Table 8).
 However, 57.2% didn’t think there is much they can do to prevent others from drinking too much and 30.6%
worried calling an ambulance for someone that is too intoxicated might get them in trouble with the police
(Table 8).
8
Table 8. Bystander Behaviors When Feeling “off” About Other’s Drinking
Percent “Agree” or
Concept
“Strongly agree”
I like thinking of myself as someone who helps others when I can.
94.1
It is important for all students to play a role in keeping each other
safe.
I can prevent negative consequences if I intervene when I see
someone drinking too much.
I don’t think there is much I can do to prevent others from
drinking too much.
I worry calling an ambulance for someone that is too intoxicated
might get me in trouble with the police.
Average*
3.33
92.1
3.33
79.4
2.94
57.2
2.63
30.6
2.07
* Scale: 1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=agree, 4=strongly agree.
In addition, students were asked about the top three reasons that could prevent them from intervening when
something seems “off” about how much alcohol others are drinking. Almost half of the students (47.4%)
indicated that they didn’t have enough information to determine if it was concerning enough to intervene
and 41.5% of students indicated that they didn’t know the person well enough to intervene (Table 9).
Table 9. Top Reasons Preventing Students from Intervening in Situations that Feel “off” About Drinking
Reason
Percent*
You didn’t have enough information to determine if it was concerning enough to intervene
You didn’t know the person well enough
You didn’t notice the situation at the time because you were also intoxicated
It’s not your place to tell them what to do
You didn’t know how to intervene
You were concerned for your own safety
No one else seemed to think it was an issue
* Respondents chose up to three reasons among 11 choices.
9
47.4
41.5
35.5
34.4
29.9
28.5
25.0
Penn State Pulse is a project of Student Affairs Research and Assessment.
For further information, please visit www.studentaffairs.psu.edu/assessment or contact
saraoffice@psu.edu, 120 Boucke, University
10 Park, PA 16802, (814) 863-1809.