Drinking abroad can be trouble for student

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- The risks of drinking too heavily can multiply in foreign countries when U.S. college students study abroad, researchers say.

Study co-authors Joe LaBrie and Justin Hummer of Loyola Marymount University surveyed 152 U.S. students over two years about their experiences when studying overseas. Prior to leaving the country, study participants said they expected alcohol would be "readily available" and "easy to buy" in their host countries.

These expectations led students to drink alcohol more frequently than they would at home, the researchers find.

Male students reported drinking 2.38 days per week before their study abroad and 2.92 days per week while overseas, while for female students, the average was 1.81 days per week at home and 2.76 days per week while studying abroad.

The students reported negative consequences to their drinking including: 44 percent of males and 37 percent of females say they suffered from hangovers, while 7 percent of males report waking up in unexpected places.

The study, published in the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, finds students who reported negative sexual consequences, such as regretting sexual situations or being pressured into having sex, also reported drinking more heavily than those who did not report negative sexual consequences.