The 5 types of college drinkers

Amid the recent coverage of binge drinking and alcohol-control campaigns comes a study reprinted in the Washington Post about the 5 different types of drinkers.

It was paid for by the Ad Council and The Century Council. Notice how the various drinkers see themselves -- especially the heavy ones.

Captains of Control: 25%

These folks consider themselves "future focused, responsible and in control," so they consume the fewest number of drinks at one time or in a typical week. Two out of three say they rarely or never end up drunk.

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Savvy Sippers : 21%

These drinkers are "steady, cautious and sensible." They like to go out, but they don't consume much. They are less likely to pre-game than other drinker types and only half sometimes get drunk.

Malleable Moderate: 23%

These are "adaptable, persuadable and laid back." They go out less often than some drinkers, but when they do, they drink a lot. Nearly half said that they sometimes end up drunk -- and they can be peer pressured.

Easily Swayed Swiggers:18%

Mostly younger college males, they're "extroverted, agreeable and easily influenced." Drinking helps them fit in -- even when they don't feel like drinking. They binge drink about three times a week, and 38 percent always or often end up drunk.

Copious Confidents: 12%

Older males and leaders of  whatever group they're in, they're call themselves "directed, experienced and self-assured." They frequently go out and have the highest consumption rates. They binge drink about four times a week, and 44 percent say they always or often end up drunk.

The study had other interesting findings on:

  • What's considered too much. 30% of college students define drinking "too much" as going out too many nights per week. 22% define it as drinking too much at one time. And 47% said both.

  • Peer pressure. 13% said it heavily influenced how much they drank.

  • Drink specials. 47% of students said they led to over-consumption.

Read the piece in the Post for all the details.