The act of consuming alcohol before going to an event where more alcohol may be consumed, termed pre-drinking, is becoming increasingly common among college students. Studies in the United States have found that between 50% and 60% of students and 80% of student drinkers engage in pre-drinking. Pre-drinking is problematic because it is associated with higher blood alcohol levels, risky behaviors, and more alcohol-related consequences. One potential reason for pre-drinking is because underage students cannot purchase alcohol at bars and events. Researchers examined pre-drinking in Canada, where the drinking age is 19, to determine whether pre-drinking exists independently from the legal drinking age in the U.S. Undergraduate students in Ontario completed an online survey (n = 276), all of which reported consuming alcohol and 89.9% reported engaging in pre-drinking. Participants were asked about their reasons for pre-drinking using the Prepartying Motivations Inventory (PMI) that included 16 different motives in 4 categories (interpersonal enhancement, situational control, intimate pursuit, and barriers to consumption). Among the predefined motives on the PMI, interpersonal enhancement was the most highly endorsed reason for pre-drinking. Monetary concern was identified by more than half of participants and 31% of participants identified socialization with close friends as a reason for pre-drinking. Additionally, 11% reported peer influence as a reason for pre-drinking. Barriers to consumption were only reported as a motive by 4% of participants.
Take away: This study provides evidence that pre-drinking is not primarily a function of being underage, given that the majority of the students surveyed were of legal drinking age in Ontario. Because pre-drinking is so prevalent among college students and has been shown to lead to greater alcohol-related consequences, campuses should develop alcohol intervention programs that directly address motives for pre-drinking.