College students draw a line on drinking
Fresno Bee 3/19/07
-- The frequency of binge drinking among college students is on the rise.
-- The percentage of students who drink (about 68%) and binge drink (40%) has not changed much since 1993. But, the news story continued, "there have been substantial increases in the number of students who binge drink frequently (take five drinks at a time, three or more times in two weeks), who drink 10 or more times a month, and who get drunk three or more times in a month."
-- College students drink more than their high school peers who don't go to college.
Not a pretty picture.
But, OK, college students drinking shouldn't shock anyone and it's nothing new. Still, the report's findings that excessive drinking is increasing should get our attention.
And just 14 months ago, a former Fresno State student, 19-year-old Danny Daniels Jr., died of acute alcohol poisoning after a party at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Daniels' death and other alcohol-related violations led to a five-year ban for the fraternity.
So I thought I'd talk with students to see if the report matches their experiences.
I expected to hear at least a few students say, "Oh yeah, I see it every weekend."
Well, my unscientific poll of six students chosen at random didn't yield those results. They acknowledged that excessive drinking does occur, but -- to my amazement -- seemed to know more about drinking responsibly.
For example: Kort Holzwart, a 23-year-old senior ag business major, wasn't picking up on my wild partying angle.
Instead, he handed me a card touting an event that evening to inform students about the effects of drinking. The card told of "Thirsty Thursday" at a campus residence hall and asked the question, "Who says you have to be drunk to enjoy the party?"
The event was sponsored in part by BACCUS, or Boosting Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students.
Meghan Rosin, a 23-year-old senior majoring in recreation administration and leisure studies, is a member of the Fresno State chapter of BACCUS.
"Everyone has a choice," she said. "You can go to a social event and not necessarily drink."
"Thirsty Thursday" included music and games and drew about 100 students. Among the educational tools were goggles showing students what's it's like to be intoxicated at various blood-alcohol levels and the serving of "mocktails" -- non-alcoholic beverages.
Students received cards that kept tabs on the number of "mocktails" they consumed and within what time frame. At the end of the night, their hypothetical blood-alcohol levels were calculated.
It was an eye-opener for students, she said.
Rosin said the hope is that some students might have come away thinking, "Wait a minute. I'm having fun and I haven't had a single drink all night. Hey, this is new."
It's about choices, as Rosin said.
That's as valuable as any lesson learned in a classroom.