Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a condition that is characterized by the inability to control alcohol use despite the social and occupational consequences. It is characterized as a brain disorder and can be mild, moderate, or severe. As shown in the graphs below "State and national progress", AUD affects college students by a large margin.

• College students' rates of binge drinking are much higher than people who are of the same age but do not attend college (Stanford Children’s Health, 2019).

• Drinking rates are especially higher within high-profile sports programs and among students who participate in greek life (Stanford Children’s Health, 2019).

• Students who participate in binge drinking may experience the strong urge to drink, the loss of control, and less awareness of the affects of alcohol.

• While college students brain's are still developing at the age 21-25, there is a great risk of memory loss and decreased responses to stimuli. (Alcohol Consumption in College: Damaging Effects on the Brain, 2021)

• This can affect the performance of the student in classes and can lead to suspension, and even loss of scholarships.

• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) The world's biggest telephone survey of non-institutionalized adults in the United States, tracking health behaviors, chronic diseases, and preventative health practices. It gathers information on current drinking, the number of drinking days, the average number of drinks consumed per occasion, the maximum number of drinks consumed per drinking occasion, and binge drinking frequency (CDC, 2019).

• Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) At the national, state, and local levels, six areas of important health-risk behaviors among high school students are monitored. This biennial survey includes information on the age at which a person first drank alcohol, the frequency with which they drink, the frequency with which they binge drink, drinking on school grounds, and drinking in conjunction with other activities such as driving and sexual activity (CDC, 2019).

• Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) The survey gathers population-based data on maternal attitudes and experiences among women two to six months after having a live baby in each state. This survey gathers data on alcohol intake prior to, during, and shortly after conception (CDC, 2019).

• National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) Interviews and health examinations of the civilian, non-institutionalized U.S. population are used to collect health and nutrition statistics. The poll asks about the age at which you first drank, your history alcohol consumption, your present alcohol use, and your binge drinking habits (CDC, 2019).

• According to the 2019 NSDUH, around 7.2 percent of persons aged 12 and up who had AUD in the previous year received treatment. In this age range, roughly 6.9% of males and 7.8% of females have had AUD in the previous year. According to the 2019 NSDUH, around 6.4 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 who had AUD in the previous year received treatment. In this age range, roughly 6.4 percent of males and 6.4 percent of females have had AUD in the previous year. (NIH, 2021)

• A medicine licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat AUD was prescribed to less than 4% of patients with the illness. (NIH, 2021)

• People with AUD were more likely to seek treatment from a primary care physician for an alcohol-related medical condition than for excessive drinking. (NIH, 2021)