title: Alcohol use among college students: an international perspective.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present review of published articles during 2005-2006 on alcohol use among college students in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and South America assesses the prevalence of alcohol use, hazardous drinking and related problems, and reviews the effectiveness of intervention methods and implications for future research.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Research on alcohol use and related problems in college students is lacking in many regions of the world. We identified 26 papers in peer-reviewed journals, from Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Lebanon, New Zealand, Nigeria, Sweden, The Netherlands and Turkey.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More comprehensive studies with systematic methodologies in the world regions reviewed here are needed to yield representative results on alcohol use and related risk and protective factors in college settings. College students in many countries are at elevated risk for heavy drinking, with serious immediate health risks, such as drink-driving and other substance use; and longer term risks, such as alcohol dependence. The prevalence of hazardous drinking in Australasia, Europe and South America appears similar to that in North America, but is lower in Africa and Asia. Alcohol policies should be reviewed and prevention programmes initiated in light of research evidence, for this high-risk population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, St George Hospital University Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon. egkaram@idraac.org
authors.forename: Elie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karam
authors.forename: Kypros
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kypri
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salamoun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012306:Risk; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities