Correlation between college students' driving offenses and their risks for alcohol problems

This study was designed to investigate the correlation between college students' driving offenses and their risk for alcohol problems. The CORE Alcohol and Drug Survey was administered to 22 undergraduate students enrolled in an alcohol and drug education program. Participants had committed an offense of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) or a non-DUI alcohol-related offense. The authors examined the relationship between DUI and non-DUI offenses and the following variables: age of first use, binge drinking, average number of drinks, and grade point average. The DUI group engaged in binge drinking more often and had been younger at the time of first use of alcohol than the non-DUI group. The high overall consumption and frequency of binge drinking among DUI and non-DUI offenders appears to validate alcohol and drug education programs that focus on reducing high-risk behaviors.