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Alcohol's Effects on Cognitive Abilities
Alcohol affects many parts of the brain, but the most vulnerable cells are those associated with memory, coordination, and judgment.

Short-term effects (usually lasts up to 72 hours after heavy use) Alcohol has several physiological and psychological effects, which will inhibit your performance as a student. Cognitive abilities are affected by even small amounts of alcohol (BACs > .03), and can persist for a substantial period of time after the acute effects of alcohol impairment disappear.

For example, alcohol impairs memory by inhibiting the transfer and consolidation of information in long-term memory—so alcohol reduces our ability to remember information that we learned prior to going out for drinks. Perhaps most importantly, your attention span is shorter for periods up to forty-eight hours after drinking.

Even in small doses, alcohol inhibits REM sleep. When REM sleep is suppressed we may feel tired when we wake up. In addition to cognitive impairments, consumption of alcohol and the resulting recovery period (i.e., hang-over) wastes time that might be better spent studying or having fun. Have you ever tried to study or even watch TV with a hangover?

With long-term use (one year of hevay use), alcohol can result in the adulteration and even death of brain cells, and those cells that support brain cells by providing energy and nutrients. Alcohol can cause damage to the connections between nerve cells and cause irreversible brain damage, including memory loss and personality changes.

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Impact of Alcohol Use on Academic Performance
There is little doubt that alcohol use has a damaging effect on academic performance. In fact, one national study showed that, at four-year institutions, college students with an "A" average consume 3.3 drinks per week, whereas students with a "D" or "F" average consume 9.0 drinks per week. The same study showed that sizable percentages of college students also report having done poorly on a test or project or having missed class because of their alcohol or other drug use in the previous twelve months (1).

Another national study conducted at four-year colleges and universities by Henry Wechsler of the Harvard School of Public Health found that, since the beginning of the school year, nearly one-third of high-risk drinkers had missed class and 21 percent had fallen behind in their school work because of their drinking. Among frequent high-risk drinkers-- students who had engaged in high-risk drinking three or more times in the previous two weeks-- over 60 percent had missed class and 46 percent had fallen behind in school because of their drinking (2).

It is not just those who use alcohol and other drugs who are affected by that use. The Harvard study found that, on campuses where more than half the students were classified as binge drinkers, 68 percent of non-binge drinkers reported that, since the beginning of the academic year, their studying or sleep had been interrupted because of other students' use of alcohol.(7)

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Alcohol Use and Academic Performance at Virginia Tech
Based on a random survey of Virginia Tech students in February 2002, most students do not allow their alcohol use interfere with their academic performance. For example...

• 68% of VT students never miss class as a result of their alcohol consumption;
• 66% of VT students never have to attend class with a hangover;
• 80% have never had to study with a hangover; and
• 92% have never taken a test without a hangover.

Regardless, we do have some students who's alcohol use is affecting their alcohol use. Approximately 44% of students have missed a class, attended class with a hanover, or studied or took a test with a hangover. In fact 4.6% (approximately 900 students) have experienced all of these negative academic at least once.

Students on academic probation and those with a cumulative grade point average below 2.50 are more likely to have taken a test with a hangover (M = 1.03, SD = 4.12) than other students (M = 0.27, SD = 0.97), p < .05. In addition, cumulative grade point average is negatively correlated with frequency of alcohol consumption, drinking on thursday nights, playing drinking games, and high-risk consumption (eight or more drinks in a sitting for men, six or more drinks in a sitting for women), ps < .05.

Alcohol use and abuse by students can have a negative impact on the academic performance of other students. For example, students indicate that in the fall of 2002:

• 20% of VT students had their studying interrupted as a result of other students alcohol use decisions; and
• 39% of VT students had their sleep interrupted as a result of other students alcohol use decisions.

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Addressing Alcohol's Effects on Academic Performance
Addressing this problem needs to be a priority. Students deserve to have a safe environment that is conducive to study and personal growth. Faculty need to have students who are prepared and attentive in class. Parents deserve to know that academic officials are exercising their responsibility to create a safe environment for their children. Taxpayers deserve to know that their money is being spent wisely and not being used to subsidize a four-year party.

While recent studies have only begun to document the relationship between academic performance and alcohol use on American campuses, more research is needed. Anecdotal evidence points to a number of research questions needing further examination so that we can understand the full impact of alcohol abuse on students, colleges, and society. Future studies should examine:

• What proportion of academic warnings and probations can be attributed to alcohol abuse?
• What proportion of entering students each year end up dropping out due to alcohol abuse?
• What price is paid in terms of lost wages and job opportunities by students who never complete their college degrees?
• What burden do these dropouts place on society as a result of their lost productivity in the workplace?

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References

1. Presley CA, Meilman PW, Cashin JR, Lyerla R. Alcohol and Drugs on American College Campuses: Use, Consequences, and Perceptions of the Campus Environment, Volume III, 1991-1993. Carbondale, IL: Core Institute, 1996.
2. Wechsler H. Binge Drinking on American College Campuses: A New Look at an Old Problem. Boston: Harvard School of Public Health, 1995.

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