Heavy Drinkers at Colleges on the Rise

Binge drinkers on college campuses are likely to be white, live in a fraternity house and have a history of binge drinking in high school, according to a study released by the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. And the percentage of frequent bingers is on the rise, the study said. The survey, conducted last year, was based on responses to questionnaires from 14,000 students at 119 colleges around the country. The survey was published in the March issue of the Journal of American College Health. The study found the population of frequent binge drinkers rose last year to 22.7% of the student population, up from 19.8% in 1993 and 20.9% in 1997.