Colleges Can Fight Alcohol Abuse


The excessive use of alcohol, or binge drinking, often involving illegal underage drinking can be effectively combatted by colleges and universities.

Following the tragic death of his nephew Cameron, George Korda in his recent Knoxnews.com column "Dead for no good reason" asks "if there realistically is anything a school can do if a student engages in behavior that can result in danger or death." The answer is an emphatic yes that there is much a college or university, as well as parents and the community can do to prevent these types of tragedies.

Strong leadership from the school's President, and other respected authority figures, which makes it clear binge drinking and drug abuse will not be tolerated on campus or in the larger community is critical. Universities have to partner with the larger community to ensure that cheap beer isn't readily available to students - many of whom are underage, and that there is strong enforcement of liquor and drug laws. The leadership in words must be borne out by actions.

An honest educational campaign that shows students the true carnage of alcohol and other drug abuse is also needed. A recent Harvard study found that "social norming" campaigns in which students are told that "most" of their peers don't binge drink are a failure. Of course they are, they don't give students a real reason not to binge, and show no leadership whatsoever.

When weighted against the 1,400 college students who are killed in alcohol related accidents each year, and the 600,000 students assaulted by peers under the influence, it doesn't make any sense not to exhibit this leadership and we owe no less to our young people.

Posted: Mon - October 20, 2003 at 12:56 AM      

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