Administrators and students need to appreciate that the heaviest drinkers are a vocal, highly visible, but relatively small minority. The segregation should work the other way, with students who disturb the peace moved to dorms for people whose behaviors indicate they need extra supervision. When students are looking for social activities, few alternatives can compete with the low cost of alcohol. A recent survey of bars and retail liquor outlets in 10 college communities makes this point very clearly. Social activities that involve alcohol appeal to students on a cost basis.
Alcohol is cheap, plentiful, and easy to get.
On all of these campuses, students can find a way to binge drink for less than five dollars. Econometric analyses of alcohol use have shown that price does play a role in binge drinking, particularly among women. A high density of alcohol outlets surrounds most larger campuses. Establishments cater to college students and compete with each other to draw business. College communities can examine the distribution of liquor outlets and the pricing practices in the neighborhoods around them.