Parents, public health officials, college personnel, and society at-large continue to be concerned about the increase in heavy drinking that occurs across the transition to college, prompting alcohol researchers to continue the search for effective interventions. In this report we use data from a large (N=3720) prospective study to (1) estimate how predictable heavy drinking in the first semester of college is on the basis of information obtained prior to college and (2) identify precollege variables that are important predictors of heavy drinking in the first semester. We found that first-semester heavy drinking is highly predictable, primarily because of continuity from precollege heavy drinking, but also from precollege peer drinking norms, precollege other substance use (esp. tobacco use), and precollege party motivation for attending college. These findings have implications for both the timing and targets of interventions. Interventions timed to occur prior to college and/or in the early months of college may disrupt the momentum of previously established drinking behavior. Furthermore, interventions may be most effective if they target conjoint alcohol and tobacco use, college party motivation, and self-selection into heavy-drinking social environments. KeywordsCollege students; Prospective study; Heavy drinking; Precollege factorsThe high rate of heavy drinking in college (see O'Malley & Johnston, 2002;Wechsler, Lee, Kuo, & Lee, 2000), coupled with the serious consequences that heavy drinking often has for young adults (see Jackson, Sher, & Park, 2005;Perkins, 2002), has sparked deep concerns among parents of college and college-bound students (American Medical Association, 2001), has seized the attention of college administrators (Angelo, 2004), and has prompted public officials to identify heavy drinking by college students as a major public health hazard (Task Force of the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2002a). Consequently, identifying risk factors for collegiate drinking, especially those risk factors that are potentially modifiable, represents an important public health effort. A substantial body of resulting research has identified a number of risk factors associated with the heavy-drinking behavior of college students, including person-based factors such as implusive/disinhibited personality traits and alcohol outcome expectancies as well as ostensible environmental factors such as membership in Greek social organizations (see .A particularly notable research finding is that, while in high school, college-bound high school seniors drink less heavily than their noncollege-bound peers, but go on to drink more heavily (i.e., more frequent heavy drinking occasions, but not necessarily more frequent drinking overall) than those peer in the years immediately after high school (O'Malley & Johnston, (Baer, Kivlahan, & Marlatt, 1995;Read, Wood, & Capone, 2005). The MTF study, with its multi-stage random sampling of multiple cohorts over a 30-year period, provides a bro...

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Despite public recognition of the hazards of 21st birthday drinking, there is little empirical information concerning its prevalence, severity, and risk factors. Data from a sample of 2,518 college students suggest that 21st birthday drinking poses an extreme danger: (a) 4 of every 5 participants (83%) reported drinking to celebrate, (b) birthday drinkers indicated high levels of consumption, (c) 12% of birthday drinkers (men and women) reported consuming 21 drinks, and (d) about half of birthday drinkers exceeded their prior maximum number of drinks. Current problematic alcohol involvement and its typical correlates strongly predicted both the occurrence and severity of 21st birthday drinking. It is imperative that investigators consider a variety of potential interventions to minimize the harm associated with this rite of passage. Keywords 21st birthday; legal drinking age; alcohol use; college students Drinking among young adults, particularly those in college, is an important public health issue (e.g., Hingson, Heeren, Winter, & Wechsler, 2005). From an array of risky collegiate drinking practices, hazardous drinking associated with the 21st birthday has emerged as a major concern for college administrators, student health service professionals, and public officials (e.g., American College Health Association, 2002). Furthermore, media reports have highlighted the problem by describing practices such as "21 for 21" and the "power hour" and by reporting the tragic deaths due to these risky practices (e.g., Zernike, 2005). Nevertheless, despite increased awareness of the problem, the prevalence and severity of and risk factors for 21st birthday drinking are not well characterized.We have identified only three published studies on this topic (Neighbors, Oster-Aaland, Bergstrom, & Lewis, 2006;Neighbors, Spieker, Oster-Aaland, Lewis, & Bergstrom, 2005;Smith, Bogle, Talbott, Grant, & Castillo, 2006). These studies provided preliminary evidence that a majority of 21st birthday celebrants consume alcohol and that their drinking levels are alarmingly high; however, these findings are limited by ascertainment biases of unknown magnitude resulting from low participation rates, 1 and it is likely that the prevalence and severity of birthday drinking are underestimated in these studies. In the present study we extend what is known about alcohol consumption on the 21st birthday by using data from a large prospective study of college drinking. Our first goal was to estimate the prevalence and severity of 21st birthday drinking in a large sample with high participation rates. In addition, our study examined the existence of the "21 for 21" phenomenon reported by the media. Our second goal was to examine risk factors associated with the occurrence and intensity of 21st birthday drinking. Although a range of possible variables could be considered, we elected to focus on those variables most consistently associated with drinking in college students (e.g., Jackson, Sher, & Park, 2006), including demographics, high-risk...

Background-For many college students, Friday class schedules may contribute to weekend-like drinking behaviors beginning on Thursday. This study characterizes college students' daily alcohol consumption patterns and the relation between Thursday drinking and Friday classes overall and for specific vulnerable groups.

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