US College students who study abroad consume more alcohol while they are away, according to a new survey by a firm that provides risk management services to Americans traveling abroad.
The survey, released by On Call International, included 1,000 current or recent students who studied abroad in college. Half of the students who consumed alcohol said they used more while studying abroad, Bloomberg Business reports. The survey found 11% said that while abroad, they were more likely to black out while using alcohol. In addition, 29% of those surveyed said they had used drugs while studying abroad, and 11% said they tried a drug for the first time.
A 2014 survey of college students found about 39% have used one or more illegal drugs in the 12 months preceding the survey.
The Forum on Education Abroad, a group that facilitates foreign study programs, found the most common incidents involving American students studying abroad were related to illness, especially diarrhea. They found there were more cases of gastrointestinal illnesses than aggravated assaults, robberies, and deaths combined.