The present study investigated the reasons university students have for not drinking on those occasions when they choose not to drink and whether those reasons differ with students’ differing levels of alcohol consumption. Volunteer participants for the study were students (158 males, 245 females) from a mid-South State University. These students anonymously answered questions about the quantity and frequency of their alcohol consumption, and on this basis, four alcohol consumption level groups were formed (80.4 percent of the sample) in addition to abstainers (19.6 percent of the sample). Each student also responded to the question, “on those occasions when you DO NOT drink (or drink very little), what is the MAIN reason you make that decision?”

A chi-square test of independence indicated that reason for not drinking was significantly related to alcohol consumption level group, and separate chi-square tests for goodness-of-fit revealed distinctly different reasons given for not drinking depending on the group’s alcohol consumption level. Light drinkers endorsed religious-moral reasons significantly more often than the other groups, moderate drinkers chose safety reasons, while heavy drinkers indicated expense as their main reason for not drinking. The results of this unique study can help shape social and legislative policies for alcohol abuse prevention and intervention by indicating strategies that target the beliefs of the various alcohol consumption levels.

Source: Slicker. EK. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education 42(2):83-102, 1997