College enrollment does not lead to problem drinking in adulthood

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Despite the high levels of binge drinking that take place on college campuses, college enrollment does not lead to substance abuse problems later in adulthood, and it may actually prevent adult substance abuse among youth who would not be expected to attend college, according to researchers at Penn State. "College is often perceived as a risky environment for problem drinking, but seldom have people looked at the long-term consequences of attending college on substance-use patterns," said Stephanie Lanza , research associate professor of health and human development. To investigate the effects of attending college on future substance-use patterns, Lanza and her colleagues asked two questions: "If all youth in the United States could go to college, what impact would that have on substance use behavior in adulthood?" and "Among kids who went to college, did college hurt them or protect them in terms of adult substance abuse?" The team examined data from 1,092 high-school seniors who participated in the National Longitudinal Youth Survey 1979. The survey assessed the participants' college enrollment a year later, in 1980. In 1994, when the participants were approximately 33-years-old, they were asked about their alcohol, tobacco and drug use. The researchers analyzed this data using a combination of latent class analysis and causal inference, both of which they pioneered.