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| Despite college administrations' attempts to curb the popularity of alcohol, drinking continues to remain one of students' favorite pastimes. More than 50 percent of students drink for no other reason than to get drunk. | |
The Harvard School of Public Health found that nearly 43 percent of students are binge drinkers. That number has remained virtually unchanged from four years ago, when an identical survey by the same group identified 44 percent of students as binge drinkers.
The study defines binge drinking as the consumption of five drinks in a row for men and four for women.
Study director Henry Wechsler expressed disappointment over the results and said fraternities and sororities are largely to blame.
"Fraternity and sorority members, and especially students who live in the houses, continue to be at the center of the campus alcohol culture. If colleges are to have an impact on their alcohol problems, they must drastically change this way of life," Wechsler said in a written statement.
Results of the survey did not surprise Boston University students, who said alcohol is abundant on campus.
"It's easy to get alcohol here, but some people take things to an extreme. They think binge drinking is the only way to have fun," said Nicole Israel, a College of Arts and Sciences senior.
"Everybody overdoes it sometimes. You're away from your parents and people just want to do something rebellious. Maybe they want to fit in and don't know how else to do it," said Kana Umehara, a senior in the School of Hospitality Administration.
The new survey indicates that stricter on-campus alcohol policies and recent alcohol-related tragedies, including the death of MIT freshman Scott Krueger last fall, have done little to curb binge drinking.
Almost 21 percent of the 14,500 students who responded to the survey said they binge at least three times every two weeks. And more than 50 percent of student drinkers said they "drink to get drunk," up from 39 percent in 1993.
The study also highlights the degree to which binge drinking impacts other students, even those who stay sober.
More than one-third of students reported driving after drinking, a 13 percent increase from 1993.
The survey also found that four out of five students who were not binge drinkers experienced second-hand results of the practice, such as assault or unwanted sexual advance.
The one bright spot in the survey was an increase in the number of students abstaining from alcohol, which rose from 15.6 percent in 1993 to 19 percent last year, according to George Dowdall, a co-author of the study.
Harvard's 1993 survey was the first large-scale, national study of college binge drinking, and it resulted in an increased awareness of alcohol abuse at colleges across the country.
What Do You Think?
Are fraternities and sororities really to blame for campus drinking problems? What do you make of the Harvard study? Should alcohol be banned on all college campuses? Send your thoughts on the alcohol issue to campus.life@technique.
(U-WIRE) BOSTON, Mass.-Two out of five college students admit to drinking often and much, according to a study released yesterday.
The Harvard School of Public Health found that nearly 43 percent of students are binge drinkers. That number has remained virtually unchanged from four years ago, when an identical survey by the same group identified 44 percent of students as binge drinkers.
The study defines binge drinking as the consumption of five drinks in a row for men and four for women.
Study director Henry Wechsler expressed disappointment over the results and said fraternities and sororities are largely to blame.
"Fraternity and sorority members, and especially students who live in the houses, continue to be at the center of the campus alcohol culture. If colleges are to have an impact on their alcohol problems, they must drastically change this way of life," Wechsler said in a written statement.
Results of the survey did not surprise Boston University students, who said alcohol is abundant on campus.
"It's easy to get alcohol here, but some people take things to an extreme. They think binge drinking is the only way to have fun," said Nicole Israel, a College of Arts and Sciences senior.
"Everybody overdoes it sometimes. You're away from your parents and people just want to do something rebellious. Maybe they want to fit in and don't know how else to do it," said Kana Umehara, a senior in the School of Hospitality Administration.
The new survey indicates that stricter on-campus alcohol policies and recent alcohol-related tragedies, including the death of MIT freshman Scott Krueger last fall, have done little to curb binge drinking.
Almost 21 percent of the 14,500 students who responded to the survey said they binge at least three times every two weeks. And more than 50 percent of student drinkers said they "drink to get drunk," up from 39 percent in 1993.
The study also highlights the degree to which binge drinking impacts other students, even those who stay sober.
More than one-third of students reported driving after drinking, a 13 percent increase from 1993.
The survey also found that four out of five students who were not binge drinkers experienced second-hand results of the practice, such as assault or unwanted sexual advance.
The one bright spot in the survey was an increase in the number of students abstaining from alcohol, which rose from 15.6 percent in 1993 to 19 percent last year, according to George Dowdall, a co-author of the study.
Harvard's 1993 survey was the first large-scale, national study of college binge drinking, and it resulted in an increased awareness of alcohol abuse at colleges across the country.
What Do You Think?
Are fraternities and sororities really to blame for campus drinking problems? What do you make of the Harvard study? Should alcohol be banned on all college campuses? Send your thoughts on the alcohol issue to campus.life@technique.