Differences in college student typical drinking and celebration drinking.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study was to determine whether students consume alcohol in greater quantities when drinking in celebration of an event or holiday versus typical drinking use. Celebratory occasions include tailgating during football games, holidays, and the beginning and ending of academic semesters.


METHODS
Traditional undergraduates, ages 18 to 24, who attended the university full time in the Fall 2007 and the Spring 2008.


METHODS
Eight hundred participants were randomly selected to participate in the study. A stratified random sample was drawn according to class rank and sex. A total of 287 survey responses were collected.


RESULTS
Alcohol consumption was greatest during typical weekend drinking, followed by celebration drinking and then by typical weekday drinking.


CONCLUSIONS
Celebration drinking was expected to be greater than typical drinking; however, typical weekend drinking episodes were greates than celebratory drinking. Intervention efforts should focus on reducing weekend alcohol consumption.
Woodyard
Catherine Dane
CD
School of Applied Sciences, Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi 38677, USA. cdwoodya@olemiss.edu
Hallam
Jeffrey S
JS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005538:Football; D006693:Holidays; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult