Abstract
To assess the prevalence of alcohol consumption among Norwegian nursing students, nursing students for the mentally disabled and teaching students (NNT students), a questionnaire was distributed to each of the 4761 freshman students who started their basic college education in 1997. 1923 replies from the NNT sample could be used, giving a response rate of 40.4%. 93% of the total sample have ever consumed alcohol. Nursing students consumed 4.1 units each week, the nursing students for the mentally disabled 6.8 and the teaching students 5.9 per. week. The mean consumption in one week was 8.1 units for men and 4.2 units for women. The nursing students have their first experience with alcohol when they are older compared to the nursing students for the mentally disabled and the teaching students; the difference is significant. NNT students, upon commencement of their career, will have important roles in preventing alcohol abuse and reshaping alcohol consumption. Many will also be considered role models. Since no such previous studies have been performed in the Nordic countries, registering a baseline will make possible comparisons with studies of other populations as well as be a reference point for follow up studies of the NNT population.