Numerous factors influence an athlete's decision to engage in risky drinking behaviors. The literature suggests that athletes and students perceive alcohol consumption to be a social norm and that college is synonymous with alcohol consumption.6 Athletes also tend to use alcohol as an escape or a coping mechanism to manage increased stress.14 Additional influences include overestimation of peer consumption and where a student athlete resides (i.e., on-campus residence hall or off-campus housing).Athletes engage in riskier behaviors than the average college student, which may be a result of greater access to alcohol, peer approval, and direct offers from other athletes. No evidence is available to differentiate level of alcohol consumption among athletes who participate in different sports, but athletes are known to consume more alcohol during the off-season.
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