In a recent study released by the Harvard School of Public Health, binge drinking at women’s colleges has increased over the last eight years from 24% in 1993 to 32% in 2001. However, binge drinking still remains significantly lower at women’s college than at coed colleges nationwide. The study found that women at coed schools engaged in such activity more often. Binge drinking is defined as consuming 5 or more drinks in one sitting for men or 4 or more drinks in a row for women. The study asked students if they had engaged in such behavior in the last two weeks.
The Harvard review also found that behavior related to alcohol consumption varied greatly according to living arrangements. 75% of students who lived in sororities or fraternities reported binge drinking, while only 51% of students in regular dormitories reported such activity. Numbers were even lower for those students who lived in “substance free” housing units (36%) or at home with their parents (25%).
