A recent study examined data on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences from the National College Health Assessment – II (NCHA-II). These data were collected from 44 U.S. colleges; the median response rate across colleges was 19%. The researchers compared responses between students with military services histories and those without, as well as between students aged 18 to 24 years and students 25 years and older. The researchers found military service history was associated with a nearly two-fold increase in odds of police encounters as a consequence of alcohol consumption, in addition to increased odds of experiencing nonconsensual sex and engaging in unprotected sex for both age groups. There were no significant differences in alcohol consumption between veteran and non-veteran students, nor between the two age groups.
Take away: Student veterans appear to have greater odds of experiencing adverse alcohol-related events. Additional research is needed to explore the reasons behind this disparity and effective prevention strategies.