Negative Consequences Associated with Binge Drinking in a National Sample of College Students with Disabilities

American college students consume significant amounts of alcohol and other drugs, frequently engage in heavy episodic or binge drinking, and incur numerous and severe consequences as a result. However, no systematic examination of the consequences of binge drinking has appeared concerning the growing body of college students with disabilities (SWDs). This research was undertaken to provide the first national assessment of the negative consequences incurred by college students with disabilities as a result of binge drinking. A survey regarding the use of alcohol and other drugs, and the correlates and consequences of such use, was sent to a randomly stratified sample of SWDs attending 4-year colleges in the United States. Binge drinking SWDs were significantly more likely than their non-binging counterparts to report a host of negative health and social consequences as a result of their use, as well as to experience episodes of harassment and victimization by others. College SWDs who binge drink are at substantially increased risk for a host of negative consequences as a result of their use. When considered in the context of previous research on the rates of binge drinking by SWDs, these findings point to the need for population-specific intervention and prevention efforts.