title: Alcohol use behaviors among pharmacy students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify reasons for drinking, determine the patterns of alcohol abuse, and explore relationships between drinking motives and alcohol abuse patterns in pharmacy students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional anonymous, voluntary, self-administered paper survey instrument was administered to first-year (P1) through third-year (P3) pharmacy students as part of a professional seminar.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survey instruments were completed by 349 pharmacy students (95.9% cooperation rate). Using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test criteria, 23.2% of students reported hazardous or harmful use and 67.2% of students reported consuming alcohol at hazardous levels during the past year. Students who were male (37.0%), single (25.3%), and attended the main campus (26.2%) were more likely than their counterparts to report hazardous or harmful alcohol use. Pharmacy students reported social motives as the most common reason for drinking; however, coping and enhancement motives were more predictive of harmful or hazardous alcohol use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Approximately 1 in 4 pharmacy students (23%) reported hazardous or harmful alcohol use. Education about the dangers of alcohol abuse and intervention programs from colleges and schools of pharmacy are recommended to help address this issue.
authors.affiliation: Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama.
authors.forename: Wesley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.affiliation: Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama.
authors.forename: Grant
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McGuffey
authors.affiliation: Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama.
authors.forename: Salisa C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Westrick
authors.affiliation: Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama.
authors.forename: Paul W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Jungnickel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Correia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000438:Alcohols / Q000009:adverse effects; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013339:Students, Pharmacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols
keywords: alcohol abuse; drinking; pharmacy students; substance abuse