2001 College Alcohol Study supports the
work of the Building Responsibility Coalition,
a campus/community partnership

The Harvard School of Public Health 2001 College Alcohol Study supports the work of the Building Responsibility Coalition, a campus and community partnership using an environmental approach to change a culture of excess.

Six years into a comprehensive program to reduce the harm caused by high-risk or binge drinking, UD President David P. Roselle reflects, "I am proud of the community, the University staff, our students and their parents for what we are accomplishing. They are making progress in reducing alcohol abuse."

President Roselle says he is pleased by parents' reaction to the strict enforcement of UD alcohol policy and the local and state ordinances enacted to protect students on and off campus. "Cultural change is evolutionary, not revolutionary," he says. "To be successful, we must continue to strongly promote our values and help our community and campus officials enforce the law."

Alarmed by the results of its 1993 national survey on binge drinking, the Harvard School of Public Health teamed up with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to fund pilot projects at universities willing to look at the problem as a public health issue. The UD was awarded a five-year grant in 1996 for planning, coalition building and establishing a working model based on the environmental approach to high-risk drinking.

In recognition of the progress made and the strong community commitment to achieving the goals of the project, funding was renewed through 2005.

"The Building Responsibility Coalition, or BRC, began with 18 people--nine from the campus and nine from the community," John Bishop, associate vice president for Counseling and Student Development and director of the BRC, says. "As more people expressed interest, we began to form task groups and committees. The BRC now has more than 130 members."

The 2001 College Alcohol Study indicates that some attitudes and behaviors have shifted in a positive direction at UD. Since 1997:

• the number of students who report that they can recognize someone with a drinking problem has increased from 51 to 62 percent;
  
  
• the number who understand the long-term effects of heavy drinking went from 51 to 59 percent;
  
  
• students who know the dangers of an alcohol overdose increased from 55 to 72 percent;
  
  
• a majority of students, 58 percent, support UD alcohol policy or a policy that would impose greater restrictions;
  
  
• while students who do not engage in high-risk drinking continue to suffer the second-hand consequences from the behavior of those who do, there is now a much greater likelihood that students will ask their peers to stop drinking--43 percent in 1997, increasing to 63 percent in 2001.

The BRC is dealing with patterns of alcohol abuse that research indicates can begin as early as grade school. "The drinking culture goes very deep," says one UD admissions counselor. Kara Sylvis, a Blue Hen Ambassador who leads campus tours and a resident assistant says: "Often, when I hear students think back on their drinking behavior, they moan, 'Why was I so stupid?'"

The College Alcohol Study reports that UD students continue excessive drinking behaviors at an unacceptably high rate: 26 percent self-report as "occasional bingers;" 34 percent claim they are "frequent bingers."

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports, from an analysis of data sources and recent studies presented to the Task Force on College Drinking by Ralph Hingson, that nationwide:

• 1,400 college students ages 18 to 24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries;
  
  
• More than 600,000 students ages 18 to 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking;
  
  
• 400,000 students ages 18 to 24 each year had unprotected sex and more than 100,000 were too intoxicated to know whether or not they had consented to have sex, and;
  
  
• More than 70,000 students ages 18-24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape each year and;
  
  
• About 25 percent of college students report academic consequences from drinking including missing classes and doing poorly on exams or papers.

Larry Thornton, director of public safety, cautions, "When young people over-consume, it is difficult for them to look out for their personal safety. They are less aware of their surroundings and can become easy targets because of their condition."

Freshmen appear to be the most vulnerable. They arrive with naive assumptions regarding local law enforcement and many soon give in to the temptations that accompany independence. However, instead of a permissive environment, UD students who break the law face sophisticated and experienced law enforcement officers.

"The high school students who come to us already binge drinkers are the ones we run into first," Thornton says. "However, we try to educate as well as enforce the alcohol regulations." He urges parents to talk to their children about personal safety issues and teach them respect for the law before they leave home. He emphasizes that alcohol abuse is not a harmless rite of passage.

"We want our students to graduate successfully with a clear memory of what they accomplished," says Judicial Affairs Director Kathryn Goldman. "The students know we have help here if they need it, but they must understand what is expected and the consequences if they break the law on campus or in the community."

Viewing the problem as a public health issue is the foundation of the environmental model adopted by the BRC. This comprehensive strategy to reduce the harm caused by high-risk drinking identifies several factors that influence the dangerous behavior: social and cultural beliefs, norms and attitudes, governmental and institutional policies, as well as advertising and marketing practices.

"Although we are concerned about the percentage of students who consider themselves to be binge drinkers," Bishop explains, "our primary focus continues to be on eliminating the serious harm inflicted on others by the 3 Vs--violence, vandalism and vomit."

The University has clamped down, enforcing rules more strictly and making students accountable. In fact, UD was the first school in the nation to notify parents when a student was charged with a violation of campus policy. In 1998, Congress amended the 1974 Federal Privacy Act to allow administrators to tell parents about alcohol and drug offenses committed by students under the age of 21. "Instead of flipping out when theyget notification that their child has violated alcohol policy, parents should take the opportunity to review responsible behavior with their student," advises Sylvis, reflecting on her experience as a dorm counselor.

The BRC expects alcohol users to accept personal responsibility for their behavior and show respect for the health and property of others. At the same time, the environmental approach requires the "supply-side"of the problem--bars, taverns, restaurants and alcohol suppliers--to undergo similar scrutiny.

According to the College Alcohol Study, in 1997, 60 percent of UD students surveyed thought they were "likely" to get caught drinking illegally in a restaurant or bar. In 2001, that rate decreased to 34 percent. At the same time, the number of students who believe bars and restaurants are easy places to get alcohol without showing identification is rising.

"The study's indication that our students think underage drinking in Newark establishments is a low-risk proposition indicates the importance of the city of Newark's resolve to more strictly enforce their laws on alcohol consumption," observes Roselle. "We have to ask, 'Where are the students getting their alcohol?' "

Bishop says he believes the challenge is in educating people to "connect the dots." "We must recognize, for example, that the disturbance and vandalism problems in the neighborhoods are directly related to the cheap and plentiful supply of alcohol," he explains. "How do marketing practices encourage over consumption? If all we do is blame the user, we are going to fall short of our goal."

Members of the BRC actively involve the community and solicit support for the goals of the project from all stakeholders. The coalition believes business owners, as well as the people in residential areas, will benefit by helping to reduce the second-hand consequences of alcohol abuse.

Newark Mayor Harold Godwin appreciates the BRC's focus on the harm caused by high-risk drinkers. "Our residents do not want the students to disturb the quiet enjoyment of their homes. In some areas of town, young tenants blend in well and favors are exchanged. For example, a student will mow an elderly lady's lawn and she will reciprocate with a plate of cookies. On other streets, we have serious disruption problems. I believe learning how to be a good neighbor is an important part of the educational experience," Godwin says.

Bishop says he thinks the UD is doing a better job of providing alcohol-free activities as alternatives for students late at night or early in the morning to reduce disruptions in the neighborhoods, but more can be done. "Instead of telling the students they should be home in bed, we should accept their time clocks and give them safe places to go at1 a.m.," he recommends.

Godwin commends UD for the progress made in creating alternative activities, such as lighting volleyball and basketball courts. "They have tried to fill a hole," he says. "The students need something to do late at night besides drinking."

Safety remains the mayor's top priority. "I want to provide a clean, well-lit, well-policed and safe city for the students," he says. "However, young people need to be careful, and too much alcohol increases their risks. As city officials, we feel responsible because of the quality of the students. They are truly our leaders of tomorrow."

Godwin encourages young people's involvement in community life and welcomes them at City Council meetings, although few attend. Students and their views are well represented on the University and city of Newark Town and Gown Committee, a group charged with reporting to Newark City Council on issues that have an impact on the school and the community.

"The University and the City are arm-in-arm regarding responsible consumption. We are not prohibitionists, but we use strict enforcement of our alcohol regulations as a tool to suppress the alcohol culture," Godwin says.

Over the last few months, the city of Newark adopted several new alcohol control ordinances, police patrols were increased and devices to detect false IDs were added.

State alcohol rules adopted locally
The Newark City Council adopted the Delaware Alcohol Beverage Control (DABC) rules--defining how alcohol licensees operate--into the city's municipal code. Newark Police now have the authority to take violators to the local Alderman's Court for sanctions.

Increase in business license fees for alcohol sellers
The BRC principle that "the costs of additional enforcement should be borne by those who sell, buy and/or use alcohol" is supported by the Newark City Council. Council members voted to increase the business license fee of alcohol sellers to fund three additional Newark police officers to enforce the new DABC program.

Happy hours restricted
At its Sept. 23 meeting, the Newark City Council voted to restrict happy hours citywide to the hours of 4 to 9 p.m. Research shows that low-cost alcohol encourages over-consumption, especially among young people.

Increased patrols
The Newark Police Department announced that through a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, five more officers will be on the streets of Newark during the weekends. The BRC sponsored an ad in the student newspaper, The Review, to draw students' attention to the additional patrols and remind them to be responsible.

New scanners
The BRC donated four ID scanners to assist the Newark Police Department in enforcing underage drinking laws. The sophisticated devices detect false IDs by reading the magnetic strip or bar code on the back of a driver's license.

"The strong leadership shown by the Mayor and City Council members to address the community's role in matters related to high-risk drinking is commendable," Bishop says. "Newark is now in the national forefront of the efforts being made by college towns to reduce the negative effects that often accompany the excessive use of alcohol."

"All of us at the University of Delaware are fortunate to have such good allies in our efforts to combat irresponsible drinking," Roselle says.

Bishop says he regrets that, with so much attention drawn to the problems and negative survey results, less mention is made of the significant improvements since the BRC project began.

UD students report that the residence halls are more attractive places to live; the academic reputation of the school has grown, attracting more qualified applicants; and students are willing to speak out when friends over-consume, threatening themselves and the safety of others.

As a national leader in applying the environmental model to the problem of student alcohol abuse, the University welcomes surveys and evaluations. In fact, the UD-specific results of the 2001 College Alcohol Study were released to the media with comments from the President.

"I have never been afraid to say that college kids drink too much," Roselle says. "UD instituted parental notification, evaluated Greek organizations and established a better dialog with the city of Newark. We have an awful lot of good students. A 'party school' image is not fair to those who work hard and achieve much."

Godwin says he envisions a community with zero tolerance for bad behavior that he believes will encourage better students to apply to UD. "With the University and the community's zero-tolerance policies and increasing academic demands, certain behavior will be required to be successful here," he says. "We will eventually eliminate the students who bring problems with them."

The College Alcohol Study reinforces the comprehensive approach the BRC is taking to reduce the harm caused by high-risk drinking, with the emphasis on educating and raising awareness on the accountability of both the users and suppliers. "We are trying to change a culture," Thornton reminds parents, students, community residents, business owners--everyone who cares about the health and safety of young people and the future of the community. "We knew from the beginning that it would take a long time."

"Eventually, alcohol will be treated like tobacco," Roselle predicts, "with the responsible drinkers and non-drinkers demanding respect from those who over-consume. In time, the harm caused by alcohol abuse will disappear from our lives, just like second-hand smoke."

--Pam Finkelman