Speeches

Collegiate Alcohol Abuse: Stepping Up to the Challenge

Some of you may recall a story that hit the national news just one year ago. It involved a Penn State student who was celebrating her 21st birthday. What was unusual about her birthday celebration is the fact that she survived it. She had a deadly blood alcohol concentration level of .682 -- nearly seven times the legal definition of intoxication in Pennsylvania.

Police and medical personnel said they had never seen anyone with that high a level of alcohol in their bloodstream still alive. Her survival, thanks to immediate kidney dialysis and other life-saving measures, was nothing short of a miracle. Her story sent another round of shock waves through our local community and perhaps through some other campuses nationwide. But it probably hasn't stemmed much the tide of 21-year-old celebrants. It was just another sobering reminder that, even at the age of 21, some students are not ready to face the many responsibilities that must accompany the consumption of alcohol.

In a recent survey, 45 million Americans admitted that a month prior to the survey they had engaged in heavy drinking. Is it any wonder that we see this dangerous behavior mirrored on our college campuses?

All across this country, there are incidents that graphically chronicle this major public health concern. Some stories are less serious, some end fatally. But all identify the need for more education, tougher enforcement of existing laws and rules, increased community involvement, more leadership from the top and continued cooperation for tackling this problem head on.

That is why I am pleased to see such a cross-section of groups represented here today: students; university chancellors and presidents; law enforcement officials; community members; counselors; brewers and alcohol producers. If we want to address alcohol issues on our college campuses seriously, we must all work together. This conference is a welcome opportunity for constructive dialogue that could lead to new and improved programs for curbing the misuse of alcohol by our youth.

Over the last several years, I have been outspoken on the topic of alcohol abuse because I have seen first-hand the devastating human costs that can result from it. Excessive drinking can lead to profound health, social and economic consequences not only for excessive drinkers, but also for those around them. Students who engage in high-risk drinking are more likely to fall behind in coursework; they are five times as likely to engage in unplanned and unsafe sex; and they are 10 times as likely to damage property.Fatal accidents, assaults, and the more recent phenomenon of "rioting" are all likely to involve the abuse of alcohol.

It is my belief that the most fundamental problem facing colleges and universities in America today is the challenge of developing character, conscience, civility, citizenship and social responsibility in a society that sometimes gives the impression that such virtues are optional. This is a critical part of our educational mission and one of the most profound contributions institutions can make to the future. Yet it is also one or our most elusive goals to achieve. The excessive consumption of alcohol is one of our greatest obstacles in achieving this goal.

I suspect that some in this room might believe that we are overstating the problem and thus leading some students to overestimate their peers' drinking habits. Some have suggested that this overestimation may actually be contributing to students' abuse of alcohol. As you know, it has spawned a promising approach to combating underage and excessive drinking known as the social norms model. Under the social norms approach, positive college trends regarding drinking are highlighted.The social norms approach attempts to address the misperception of some students that they need to drink heavily to fit in, when in reality, the majority of this nation's 14.5 million undergraduate students do not abuse alcohol.Penn State has integrated this approach into some of its interventions, along with other approaches.

In fact, some research suggests that drinking by youth between the ages of 12 and 17 is at its lowest level in two decades, and the percentage of college freshmen who say they drink beer frequently or occasionally is reported to be at its lowest level since 1996. A growing number of students, 19 percent, are choosing not to drink at all.These statistics reveal a positive movement toward responsible alcohol use.

But I must admit to being among those who feel embarrassed to pretend that having "just a few drinks" at a sitting a few times a week is normal. I have mixed feelings about advertising that it is normal for a college student to drink often, even if it fits someone's definition of "moderate drinking." Moreover, both my heart and instincts tell me that the right thing for us to do is talk openly and persuasively about excessive alcohol consumption being all too common -- because I believe that it is. Yet I will try any approach that works to combat the problem, so my mind is open to the social norms approach. As a social scientist, I'm willing to treat this as an empirical question.

Last week, through a partnership with Anheuser-Busch, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges launched a comprehensive social norms marketing campaign to promote responsible consumption of alcohol.I coordinated this effort on behalf of the more than 200 presidents affiliated with the association.

Alcohol is still the No.1 drug of choice among our nation's youth. We cannot close our eyes to the reality that students who are abusers of alcohol are sacrificing their own potential. You are all familiar with the most recent College Alcohol Study from Harvard University's School of Public Health, which again found that 44 percent of college students binge drink. Although the term "binge drinking" has come to be somewhat controversial, the data about alcohol consumption are compelling. Frequent binge drinkers consume two-thirds of all the alcohol drunk by college students and account for the majority of serious alcohol-related problems on campuses.

Whether one agrees with the terminology, we must all continue to work together to redefine the appropriate use of alcohol in a learning community. Winston Churchill said it best: "There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies -- and that is fighting without them." We all share a common goal -- to modify the behavior of high-risk drinkers that continues to threaten our campuses and communities.

No one can deny that excessive drinking interferes with the academic quality of a campus and jeopardizes the safety of the community. Every year, students spend an estimated $5.5 billion on alcohol - more than they spend on soft drinks, tea, milk, juice, coffee, and books combined. Yet alcohol abuse is not necessarily defined by how much people drink, but rather by the impact drinking has had on them, their families, friends and others with whom they have been in contact.

Fully one-half of all students consider alcohol to be a problem on their own campus, and a clear majority wants tougher policies to reduce alcohol-related problems. A recent poll of 7,000 adults found that 82 percent would be willing to pay more for a drink if the money were used to combat alcohol abuse. In addition, Congress recently approved legislation setting a nationwide impaired driving standard of .08 blood alcohol content. The President has now signed this legislation.This limit will save an estimated 500 lives a year and prevent thousands of injuries.

All of this is encouraging news, considering that some in higher education and in our communities are still debating the difference between heavy drinking and students who may simply be sowing their wild oats. I have heard from many students and some alumni who consider drinking a normal and integral part of the college experience - a rite of passage, if you will. I have heard from many more, however, that say we should continue to pay careful attention to this problem. It is comforting to know that college students recognize the dangers posed by those who drink recklessly and want to change the campus environment. I believe the vast majority of students welcome the chance to be responsible. They need and must have our active encouragement and support.

Later during this conference, you will hear about different approaches to educating students and your communities. I'd like to share with you some of the ongoing initiatives that Penn State has undertaken.

• Since 1997, Penn State has been involved in an educational partnership with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to address the impact alcohol has on students and on the productivity and competitiveness of the Commonwealth. The partnership between Penn State and the PLCB was the first such alliance in the country and focuses on developing intervention and educational programs that promote responsibility and citizenship. It recently received national recognition as a "model program" from the Higher Education Center's National Conference on Alcohol Abuse Prevention held two weeks ago in Pittsburgh. We have 20 campus-community coalitions across the state.
• In 1996, we opened our student union building, the HUB, on the main campus 24 hours a day with expanded late-night programming. This spring, 46 percent of the 40,000 students on campus attended the alcohol-free activities held there. Numbers for this fall look even more encouraging, with 4,000 students participating every weekend. In a campus survey, 66 percent of those responding said they believe the Late Night Penn State programs resulted in less drinking by others; 73 percent admitted the activities reduced their own drinking. The U.S. Department of Education cited this initiative as a We will soon open a newly expanded and renovated student recreation center that also will be open 24 hours a day on the weekend as a part of our late-night programming.
• We have established a Community Partnership that engages and involves 45 member organizations from within the university and the broader community to change the local culture and reduce high-risk drinking behavior. The partnership uses education, enforcement and alternative programming. In addition, we have a peer education program that also provides information.
• At Penn State, we continue to urge faculty members to incorporate information on alcohol and other drug risks into their courses. Students in courses from biobehavioral health to advertising have been asked to examine their attitudes toward drinking and become more aware of their adult responsibilities.
• Penn State's Interfraternity Council is providing outstanding leadership on alcohol issues. The IFC has worked with local chapters to implement a number of policy changes to promote academics and de-emphasize the use of alcohol. Eight fraternities have announced plans to go alcohol-free this year. Sororities have agreed that they will only co-sponsor events with substance-free fraternities.
• Intercollegiate Athletics and the Office of Health Promotion and Education have cooperated to develop messages discouraging excessive drinking, which have been visibly displayed at basketball and football games.
• Several years ago our University Park campus established a substance-free residence hall called "Life House." It has expanded in size due to student demand, and two other Penn State campuses have established Life Houses of their own.
• We have implemented a parent notification policy involving alcohol and drug violations.

With these efforts and more, we are seeing some encouraging progress at Penn State and at other universities throughout the country.I think a recent quote in the Boston Globe summarized it well by saying higher education's efforts are "finally beginning to look like a real war. Institutions are using strategies ranging from zero-tolerance to scare tactics to law enforcement crackdowns to the social norms approach, all aimed at combating underage and abusive drinking. We do not yet know which strategies will work best, but we must continue to discover innovative solutions that will encourage the responsible consumption of alcohol by our students.

As institutional leaders, community members, beverage distributors, law enforcement officials, students, and concerned parents, we must not be discouraged.What we must be is absolutely committed to the long-term effort that is necessary for real change to occur. Our leadership is key to the success of our students, our campuses and our communities. And we must not let them down.