Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.

UH drinking rate
lower than at
mainland schools

But the unscientific survey
also says 42 percent of men
at UH drink heavily

---

By Helen Altonn
Star-Bulletin

University of Hawaii-Manoa undergraduates don't drink as much as students at mainland universities, but many drink heavily, according to a survey by the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii.

Nearly 23 percent of drinkers reported driving after having too much to drink. And 55 percent of the drinkers were under Hawaii's legal drinking age of 21.

The research center mailed the survey during the spring semester to 1,106 undergraduates; 581, or 53 percent, responded.

The results of the unscientific survey indicated that 65 percent of men and 63 percent of women drank during the past year.

Heavy drinking -- defined as five or more drinks on one occasion -- was reported by 42 percent of men and 23 percent of women.

A Harvard College Alcohol Study of 128 colleges last year found that 81 percent of students drank in the past year and 44 percent drank heavily.

Dr. Jay Maddock, behavioral scientist at the Cancer Research Center who directed the UH survey, said, "Even though the rates of drinking reported in this study are lower than national studies of mainland universities, there are a lot of students who are drinking heavily and are creating severe consequences for themselves and others."

Among other findings:

More than half of the drinkers reported hangovers, and 46 percent had nausea.

Caucasian and Hawaiian students, followed by Japanese students, reported drinking more often and larger amounts than other students.

About 71 percent of the drinkers obtained alcohol from someone over 21.

Few students used false identification (7 percent) or bought alcohol without being asked for identification (9 percent).

Fifty-five percent of the students thought the UH administration was concerned about alcohol and drug use. Only 24 percent said alcohol and drug policies were enforced.

---

University of Hawaii