The association between drinking motives and alcohol-related harms among university students in Wales: A survey across seven universities

Background: The aim of the paper is to add to current knowledge by providing contemporary findings on drinking motives and their associated causes and effects among a national sample of university students in Wales. Methods: Seven of the nine universities in Wales agreed to take part in the survey. The questionnaire included an open-ended question that asked students about their reasons for drinking alcohol. Results: The quantitative analysis showed that about one-third of alcohol users said that they or somebody else had been injured because of their drinking and between 10% and 15% of those students said that they had been in a fight during or after alcohol use. The qualitative analysis revealed that coping motives were often linked to stresses relating to university life and a pervasive drinking culture supported and to some extent created by the Student Union. Conclusion: The current research provides new data on the possible causes of drinking motives and their independent effect on alcohol-related harms. The university system plays some role in the generation of negative drinking motives through maintenance of a student drinking culture and the creation of work-related stress.