High-intensity drinking (HID) is classified as having 10+ drinks on one occasion. HID raises a significant concern due to its associated adverse consequences such as blackouts, alcohol poisoning, academic problems, injuries, and risky sexual behavior. In a recent study, 83% of young adults who reported HID met the criteria for alcohol use disorder. This study aims to examine how demographics, substance use, and mental well-being correlate with HID among college students and young adults not attending college.
The need for this study comes from the need to distinguish binge drinking (drinking five or more drinks in 2 hours) from drinking behaviors that far exceed this threshold and their associated consequences in hopes to help guide intervention and prevention efforts. This study consisted of 1,430 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. Participants completed web-based surveys where their demographics, age of first alcohol use, perceived risk of binge drinking, other substance use, mental well-being, and HID were all measured. Recruitment of participants took place via social media between November 2019 and February 2020. Roughly 57% of the participants were college students. Of those, 13.6% reported HID, while 14.6% of non-student young adults reported HID.
This study found that college and non-college men are more likely to engage in HID than women. This study also highlighted the dangers of the relationship between prescription drug misuse and HID among college students. Mixing alcohol and marijuana in the past year and the perceived harm of binge drinking was associated with HID. Future intervention and prevention efforts should use these findings to tailor programming.
Takeaway: Mixing alcohol and marijuana in the past year, past year prescription drug misuse and perceived harm of binge drinking have an association with high-intensity drinking (HID).