| The “Binge Drinking Project”
seeks to demonstrate and evaluate new means of changing policies, practices,
and student attitudes and norms regarding binge drinking and its consequences.
The extent and pervasiveness of college drinking in the U.S. is well known;
however, the risks not only to the heavy drinkers but also to their fellow
students and to those in the communities surrounding college campuses have
only recently gained major national attention. Studies close to home have
indicated that University of Delaware students binge drink at rates 50%
higher than national rates with commensurate higher risk of accidents,
blackouts, risky sexual practices, poor school performance, and depression.
Consequences to their fellow students and the surrounding community include
dealing with violence, vandalism, vomit, drunken drivers, and loud and
disruptive behavior. The University and City administration also are forced
to provide extra policing, cleanups, and damage repair.
A number of individual strategies
to deal with drinking problems have been undertaken in the past few years
at the University and in the community. Many have had some success in educating
students and increasing awareness of alcohol problems. Nevertheless, the
data all point to a continuing problem. The University of Delaware, under
the active instigation of President Roselle, began a series of steps to
address the issues surrounding alcohol use which culminated with the invitation
to apply for and subsequent awarding of a 5-year grant from the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation. This grant seeks to expand efforts by creating
and empowering a University/Community Coalition that includes student leaders;
University administrators and faculty; City administrators, business and
community leader representation; and other organizations and state agencies.
Strategies are to be designed
and implemented with student support and community involvement, calling
not for prohibition but for policies to reduce high-risk drinking behaviors,
limiting access to underage students, and offering a sensible mix of incentives
and sanctions.
The Center worked in collaboration
with the Office of the President and the Vice-President for Student Life
in developing this proposal to the Foundation. The Center is providing
the administrative support and local evaluation for this project. The local
evaluation is being supervised by Dr. Henry Wechsler of the Harvard School
of Public Health. |
