There are a number of inaccurate statements in the editorial "PSU should respond to alcohol survey results" (March 4). The "70 percent Party Smart" campaign was updated over a year ago and replaced with "Most Penn State students have zero to four drinks when they party." We revised the campaign to reflect data from the 2002 Pulse survey results.

The editorial suggests the campaign does not effectively address high-risk drinking. Based on the Pulse data, the campaign is successfully correcting students' misperceptions about drinking. The 2003 survey indicates that 35 percent of students accurately perceive how much other students drink. This 14 percent increase from 2002 is the first step in an effective social norms campaign.

The editorial states that university health officials question the integrity of the findings because responses were solicited via e-mail. Students did not complete the survey by e-mail; they received an e-mail that directed them to a Web-based survey.

No one in health services claims the data from this Pulse survey is inaccurate. The Pulse survey on student drinking has been conducted by phone for eight consecutive years. This is the first year the survey has been completed by both phone and Web. Anytime a different method is used, one has to be careful about interpreting the data. The breakdown of the survey responses by Web and phone has not been released, so we are reluctant to draw any immediate conclusions.

The editorial states that the university should not blame the survey method for the results and should work harder to decrease drinking. The responsibility to reduce high-risk drinking lies in the hands of those who engage in the behavior. The university and community will continue its hard work, but students also play a critical role in addressing this issue.