College Students' Early Cessation From Episodic Heavy Drinking: Prevalence and Correlates

The author surveyed 788 undergraduates at a large public university (overall response rate 54%) to (1) estimate the proportion of college students who cease engaging in a pattern of episodic heavy drinking (EHD) and (2) identify individual and contextual factors associated with early cessation. He used a staging algorithm to classify respondents into 4 stages of EHD cessation. Of the 60% who had engaged in EHD, 64% continued to drink heavily with no intention of stopping, 12% continued to drink heavily but were thinking about stopping, 14% had ceased temporarily, and 9% had ceased permanently. Students who had stopped EHD perceived more risks and fewer benefits associated with alcohol misuse, but they did not differ in their perceptions of normative alcohol use on campus. Many collegiate heavy drinkers cease EHD before graduation, and others may be predisposed to moderate their alcohol use. Tailored interventions that alter alcohol expectancies may facilitate early cessation from EHD.