CORE Definition of High Risk Drinking Vs. JMU students definition

    The CORE Drug and Alcohol Survey was developed in the late 1980s by the US Department of Education and advisors from several universities and colleges. The survey is used by universities and colleges to determine the extent of substance use and abuse on their campuses. The survey is now administered by the CORE Institute at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale (SIUC). ( JMU results of the CORE survey are in an earlier post)
The Core  instrument defines "high-risk" drinking as having five or more drinks in one sitting at least once during a two week period. (High-risk drinking and "binge" drinking refer to the same behavior)  In the JMU Continuing Student Survey 2009 (see link: http://www.jmu.edu/ie/Surveys/CSS2009.pdf ) students were asked their definition of High risk drinking. Results are below.

Table 45 Definition of High Risk Drinking

                                2009( 2008/ 2007/ 2006)

6 to 8 drinks            30%(28%/29%/27%)

9 to 11 drinks          28%(30%/25%/27%)

12 or more drinks   22%(23%/24%/28%)

4 to 5 drinks            15%(15%/16%/15%)

1 to 3 drinks              5%( 4%/ 6%/ 4%)

If you add the 9-11 drinks and 12 or more drinks- 50% of the JMU students  surveyed think that it takes twice (or more) than the 4-5 drink limit to meet the definition of "high-risk" drinking.  Part of how the CORE survey developed the definition of 4-5 drinks is that it is the amount of alcohol that must be consumed for an average male to meet the legal definition of intoxicated and would result in Driving Under the Influence charge.  JMU students have an extremely  distorted definition of "high-risk" drinking that serves to encourage "high-risk" drinking and the negative alcohol culture.