According to a recent study, incidents of alcohol-related deaths and driving under the influence are increasing among college students across the nation, and local officials say the trend is similar at Penn State.

Dwight Smith, Penn State University Police supervisor, said that the number of Penn State students receiving DUI citations has increased in recent years.

In 2001, there were 38 DUI citations for students, according to Penn State police statistics, Smith said, adding that the number jumped to 104 in 2003.

Smith said he believes the problem is a result of students consuming more alcohol when they go out.

"The average blood alcohol content for students has risen steadily since 2001," Smith said.

"Students are drinking less beer and more hard liquor," he added.

According to a new study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the number of students who drove under the influence of alcohol rose from 2.3 million in 1998 to 2.8 million in 2001.

The number of students killed as a result of unintentional alcohol-related injuries also increased by 6 percent from 1998 to 2001, the study said.

However, Linda LaSalle, a community health educator at University Health Services, said the number of Penn State students visiting the emergency room at Mount Nittany Medical Center because of alcohol-related injuries decreased last year.

Statistics from the 2003-04 annual assessment report from the Campus and Community Partnership United Against Dangerous Drinking show an initial increase, which was followed by a decrease, in emergency room visits.

From 1999 to 2003, the number of visits increased from 199 to 248.

However, the number dropped to 113 last year, according to the report.

LaSalle also said that alcohol did not play a role in the deaths of any Penn State student last year. LaSalle added that this data should be interpreted very cautiously.

"While the number of students visiting the emergency room has gone down, the average blood alcohol content of those who do go to the emergency room is higher than in the past," LaSalle said.

Fred Donodeo, a NIAAA spokesman, said the report is the most comprehensive study of college drinking to date.

"This study is unique because it took three years of research and because it is the only official government study of college drinking, which makes it objective," Donodeo said.

State College Mayor Bill Welch, who is co-chair of the Campus and Community Partnership United Against Dangerous Drinking, said the best way to combat harmful drinking is to offer students alternatives.

"The partnership provides non-alcoholic late-night activities to ease up the amount of time students spend consuming alcohol," Welch said.

Welch also said that while it is hard to determine if the situation is getting better or worse, the underage drinking problem in State College seems to have stabilized.

Rebecca Shaver, Pennsylvania executive director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), said she is surprised at the number of students who drive under the influence.

"Even though we knew college students were drinking more, we thought they were starting to wise up about drinking and driving," Shaver said. "This news is very disappointing."

Shaver added that the increase in DUIs is due to students drinking more often to get drunk instead of drinking for social reasons.

"These kids aren't drinking to celebrate an occasion or to enjoy time with their friends," she said. "They are drinking simply to get drunk, to the point where they pass out."