Survey says binge drinking still rampant on campuses

A recent study has confirmed something university officials have been aware of for some time: Drinking among college students is on the rise.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism study showed the number of college students binge drinking between 1998 and 2005 rose from 42 percent to 45 percent. The number of alcohol-related deaths among 18-to-24-year olds rose to 1,825 from 1,440 during the same seven-year period.

"I'm not surprised about the binge drinking levels," said Warren Kelley, an assistant vice president for student affairs who chairs the campus alcohol coalition. "On our campus, I believe binge rates have mirrored the national trends."

The findings come as the university finishes a school year hot with debate over alcohol-related issues. Last summer, university President Dan Mote and University System of Maryland Chancellor Brit Kirwan stepped into a firestorm of controversy when they signed the Amethyst Initiative, a petition calling for a nationwide conversation on lowering the legal drinking age. The university then hosted a school-wide summit on alcohol use.

Towards the end of the year, the university adopted a Good Samaritan protocol allowing intoxicated students to call 911 for themselves or a friend without fear of university sanctions, as long as all students involved complete university-approved alcohol intervention courses.

According to the study, 83 percent of college students drink and 41 percent have admitted to drinking five or more alcoholic drinks at once during the last two weeks. Compared with other age groups, the 18 to 24 age group has the highest prevalence of risky drinking.

"National trends getting worse are quite concerning," Kelley said. "Our students aren't immune from the direction of society and culture, and if it continues to get worse, I suspect we'll see the evidence here as well."

Kelley believes, however, while drinking has increased, the university has made progress over the last three years in mitigating the harmful consequences.

"We've seen reductions in physical injury, physically injuring another person, being involved in a fight and doing something later regretted from 2006 to 2008," Kelley said, citing statistics from the National Collegiate Health Assessment. The 2009 data has not yet been released.

The university's three major strides on alcohol from last year - the signing of the Amethyst Initiative, the alcohol summit and the Good Samaritan policy - should curb dangerous drinking, Kelley said.

The university plans to continue educating students on the dangers of binge drinking, focusing on the signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning and how to help people who may have alcohol poisoning.

"Another approach we use is the concept of 'If not you, who?' focusing on individuals responsibility to themselves and others," said Kelly Kesler, assistant director to health promotion at the University Health Center. "As we have in the past, we also continue to collaborate with others to provide alternative activities that provide for alcohol-free alternatives during high-risk times."

While these methods have statistically been proven as a success, Ralph Hingson, the lead researcher for the study, believes the solution is instilled deep within the interactions between universities and the communities where they reside.

"Colleges and communities need to work together to solve this problem," he said. "It's a problem our society as a whole has to address - we can't expect just colleges to solve it."

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