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Women Drink More, Have More Sex on Spring Break March 9, 2006
News Summary
In a report that's unlikely to surprise anyone, researchers said that female college students drink more and have sex more while on Spring Break trips.
The American Medical Association polled 644 women ages 17-35, including those in college and those who had previously attended, and found that 83 percent said they drank more on Spring Break trips than back home at school, and 74 percent said that their sexual activity increased during Spring Break.
Of those polled, three-quarters said that women used alcohol as an excuse to engage in outrageous behavior, such as public nudity, and 59 percent reported sexual activity with more than one partner while on spring break. One in five said they later regretted their sexual activity, and 12 percent felt that they had been forced or pressured into sex.
J. Edward Hill, M.D., president of the AMA, called the findings "extremely disturbing" because of the increased risk of sexually transmitted disease, blackouts and violence.
"Spring break is broken," said Hill. "What was a traditional time to relax and take a break from college studies has turned into a dangerous binge-fest ... Months before spring break, students are bombarded by promotions on campus that are loaded with ads for cheap or free alcohol."
Survey respondents were generally supportive of added restrictions on Spring Break advertising on campus, as well as bans on alcohol promotions in tour packages. They also expressed support for schools promoting alcohol-free alternatives to traditional bacchanals in Cancun, Florida and elsewhere.
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