According to a new study on binge drinking and universities, "heavy drinking" schools like Penn State may not be doing enough to curb alcohol issues.
Published in the September issue of The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, "The Persistence of Heavy Drinking and Ensuing Consequences at Heavy Drinking Colleges" says the prevalence of excessive drinking has remained largely static over the last 12 years at heavy drinking schools.
The study examined 10 schools in 2005 in which more than 50 percent of students reporting participating in binge drinking.
Penn State reported a high-risk drinking rate of 54 percent in a 2009 Penn State Pulse study administered by the Division of Student Affairs, qualifying Penn State as a "heavy drinking
college" by definition outlined in the September study.
"These colleges may not be trying to combat student heavy drinking, although in a national study of 747 colleges conducted in 2002, most 4-year colleges in the United States reported some activities to reduce student drinking," the study reads. "It is also possible that these heavy drinking colleges are either not doing enough or are not using effective prevention policies and programs."
Toben Nelson, co-author of the September study and assistant professor of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota, said he believes the heavy-drinking culture is persisting at schools because they are not taking the right approach.
"Schools typically try to educate students about the risks," he said. "Educational efforts by themselves have not been shown to be very effective for this problem or lots of other public health problems."
Ziming Xuan, Hang Lee, Elissa R. Weitzman and Henry Wechsler completed the study with Nelson.
Nelson cited recommendations by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as possible solutions, including tightening underage drinking enforcement and raising the price of alcohol near campuses.
Vice President for University Relations Bill Mahon wrote in an e-mail the situation at Penn State is similar to that of other schools across the country.
"In this community the student newspaper and other media are filled throughout the year with ads for alcohol specials and we have more than 100 businesses within five miles of Old Main that sell alcohol," he wrote. "It all makes for a recipe for problems."
Linda LaSalle, associate director of education services for University Health Services (UHS), said UHS focuses on alcohol education for groups that request it, such as instructors and fraternities and sororities.
She said other efforts to address high-risk drinking across campus include LateNight Penn State at the HUB-Robeson Center and programs by Residence Life, Penn State Police, the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council. Penn State Police Deputy Director Tyrone Parham said the university has a zero-tolerance policy toward underage and high-risk drinking.
He said he has noticed more students drinking more alcohol in recent years, leading to a host of problems -- including 558 alcohol-related hospital visits in 2008.
"It seems to be somewhat culturally acceptable for students to go out and have 10 beers without really thinking about it," he said.
Braden Candela (junior-supply chain and information systems) holds a similar view.
"It definitely is part of the culture," he said. "There's no doubt about that. When you arrive at Penn State, a lot of students already have the mindset that they're going to drink a lot."
