SAMHSA's 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse found that approximately 10.4 million adolescents ages 12 to 20 reported using alcohol. Of these, 5.1 million were binge drinkers and included 2.3 million heavy drinkers who binged at least five times a month. Nearly 9 percent of boys and 7 percent of girls ages 12 to 17 reported binge drinking in the previous month. White non-Hispanic youth ages 12 to 17 reported the highest frequency of binge drinking. According to a 1997 national study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, nearly half of all college students surveyed drank four or five drinks in one sitting within the previous 2 weeks. Students who lived in a fraternity or sorority house were the heaviest drinkers. Binge drinking during high school, especially among males, was a strong predictor of binge drinking in college. Alcohol poisoning -- a severe and potentially fatal physical reaction to an alcohol overdose -- was the most serious consequence of binge drinking. In schools with high binge-drinking rates, 34 percent of non-binge drinkers reported being insulted or humiliated by binge drinkers; 13 percent reported being pushed, hit, or assaulted; 54 percent reported having to take care of a drunken student; 68 percent were interrupted while studying; and 26 percent of women experienced an unwanted sexual advance. 19 notes