An addiction specialist is warning that the few months some foreign students spend in New Zealand could have long-term implications for their health.
Research from the University of Washington shows that United States students in New Zealand drink twice as much alcohol as they would at home.
The study also found that the younger the students were, the greater their alcohol consumption.
National Addiction Centre director Doug Sellman says he is concerned that those who drink the most continue to drink more heavily back home.
Professor Sellman says three months is about the period of time required to permanently change a person's behaviour.
Most of the students included in the study were abroad for between three and five months.
