Colleges Told to Take a Stronger Stand Against Drinking and Drugs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A new report on college student alcohol and drug abuse released calls on administrators to take a stronger stance against drinking and drug use on campuses.
The report, "Wasting the Best and the Brightest: Substance Abuse at America's Colleges," lays out a 10-point plan of action administrators can follow to prevent and reduce student substance abuse.
The report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, at Columbia University, says excessive drinking in college is not a rite of passage but rather a culture that has been allowed on many campuses.
It suggests that alcohol-free and drug-free campuses should be the rule, not the exception, and that universities do such things as set substance abuse policies with real consequences for violators and ban smoking and drinking at sporting events. It also calls on communities and parents to get involved.
Stopping college student drinking "is not solely the responsibility of administrators," said Kim Dude, director of the University of Missouri-Columbia Wellness Resource Center.
"Administrators can provide part of the solution, but a campus is not an island," Dude said. "It is the responsibility, too, of families, law enforcement, alumni and local businesses. Part of the problem is the availability of alcohol, the price of alcohol. All of those things have an impact on whether a student drinks."
The 231-page report is billed as the most extensive examination ever of substance abuse on the nation's college campuses. It says that nearly half of America's full-time college students abuse alcohol and/or prescription drugs such as Percocet, Vicodin and OxyContin or illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Prescription drug abuse occurs on a much smaller scale than marijuana use and alcohol consumption.
The national center surveyed 2,000 students, 400 college administrators and analyzed six national studies to compile the report, which updates one done by the center in 1993.
The report states that from 1993 to 2005, the proportion of students who drink dipped only slightly, from 70 percent to 68 percent. The percentage of students who binge drink remained steady at 40 percent. But the proportion of students who binge drink frequently rose 16 percent between 1993 and 2001. And nearly 23 percent of college students meet the medical criteria for substance abuse or dependence, nearly triple the proportion in the general population.
The report defines "binge drinking" as having five or more drinks on any one drinking occasion over a two-week period.
Bill Arck, director of alcohol and other drug educational services at Kansas State University, questioned the report's definition of "binge drinking." K-State campus surveys answered anonymously showed that more than 50 percent of students drink "moderately and responsibly," and 20 percent don't drink at all, he said. The other 30 percent of the respondents report excessive drinking.
"What has historically been a binge is many hours and can be over a day or two," Arck said.
University administrators in Missouri and Kansas said they have many programs to make students aware of the consequences of alcohol and drug abuse, including classes and lectures. Drinking is prohibited in dorms and at most athletic events at K-State, the University of Kansas, the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Campus surveys are conducted annually to determine student behavior trends and help fashion programs to counter risky ones such as alcohol and drug use.
"We are educating students as much as we can so that they can make better decisions," said Mel Tyler, interim vice chancellor for student affairs at UMKC.
He said all students under 21 at University of Missouri system campuses receive a letter "explaining our interest in helping them stay alcohol- and drug-free." UMKC also notifies parents when students have been caught twice violating the no-alcohol policy in dormitories. Students can be expelled for excessive violations, Tyler said.
Dude said universities' efforts to stop drinking and drug abuse are paying off.
"More than 75 percent of MU's students make responsible decisions as they relate to drinking," she said. "They try their best to protect themselves and their friends."
But despite universities' efforts, students say there is no way to stop drinking and drug use either on campus or off campus.
"I think one reason students drink is because they are not engaged in other college activities," said Paul Tran, a third-year medical student at UMKC and president of the Intrafraternity Council.
Fraternities and sororities say they are making an effort to at least make sure students don't go to parties, get drunk and get injured.
At K-State, for example, fraternities and sororities have to inform the Greek life office if they are throwing a party and pledge to follow safety guidelines, said Zach Hauser, 23, a political science major from Lenexa and Intrafraternity Council president.
Students must bring their own alcohol and wear colored wrist bands if they are old enough to drink. Door monitors make sure no one drives drunk, and food and nonalcoholic beverages must be served.
"I think what administrators are doing now is about all they can do," Tran said. "Students are not going to be very receptive unless the message comes from other students rather than administrators or even from speakers on campus."
For the complete report, go to http://www.casa.columbia.org.
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© 2007, The Kansas City Star.
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Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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