Starting Early
It used to be that students began drinking once they arrived at college as a "rite of passage." Now, many are starting before they even enter high school.
"Most statistics I’ve seen state that the present group of college students began drinking at age 13," Wesner says.
Mylene Krzanowski, student assistance coordinator for The Caron Foundation, an addictions treatment facility, has also seen this trend with the students who come into treatment. A survey of Albright College freshmen at the beginning of the 2001 academic year revealed that 57.9 percent drank beer in the previous year (during their senior year of high school) and 62.6 percent drank wine or liquor.
These statistics aren’t surprising in light of new research that shows that underage drinkers are exposed to liquor ads more often than adults. Youths aged 12 to 20 see 45 percent more beer ads in magazines and 27 percent more liquor ads than adults 21 and older, according to the report by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University.
Just like in the movies, most students do think drinking alcohol is as much a part of the college experience as cramming for exams and eating pizza at midnight.
"This concerns me because now, when we have a student who has a problem with alcohol, we have to determine if it’s the first incident or a well-established problem," says Wesner. "Several years ago we weren’t as ready to order alcohol assessments, but in working with the Caron Foundation, we’ve learned to ask more questions in order to delve deeper into the problem."
When the Caron Foundation meets with a student to do an alcohol assessment, Krzanowski says the process is "very individualized. It’s an interview process and then we make a recommendation," she says. "Sometimes there may be no recommendation at all, but other times we may recommend education for the student or some level of treatment."
Fortunately, Wesner says, "the percentage of people who need long-term therapy is low. We usually find that the drinking is part of another problem like depression, and then we find them the right kind of help."
Changing the Culture
Just like in the movies, most students do think drinking alcohol is as much a part of the college experience as cramming for exams and eating pizza at midnight. The tradition of drinking has developed into a kind of culture entrenched in every level of a college student’s environments, says the NIAAA. Students derive their expectations of alcohol from their environments and from each other as they face the insecurity of establishing themselves in a new social arena.
Society and the media, as well as the misperception that everyone at college drinks, are leading factors contributing to underage and binge drinking, Krzanowski says.
So what’s the answer? Change the culture.
"We won’t ever be able to stop the behavior entirely," says Dr. Michelle Daniels, dean of students, "but we can disrupt the behavior by becoming more conscientious and by offering alternative programming."
From holding dances hosted by DJ Adam Wentzel ’03 and performances by musicians such as Howie Day to trips to Inner Harbor and New York City, the Student Activities Office "has really come through for us," says James Zurn ’03, president of the Student Government Association and head resident advisor in Albright Court. "We didn’t have activities like this my freshman year. Albright has really come a long way, and there’s a great response to the events from the freshmen and sophomore classes."
Joe Rosenberg, director of student activities, says, "Our goal is to provide alternative entertainment for the college in hopes of cutting down on students’ drinking time."
Zurn believes it’s working. "We’ve definitely moved away from the ‘there’s nothing to do so I’m going to drink’ atmosphere. Students are definitely getting more involved."
And, students are getting more conscientious as well. Rules at events such as the annual Resident Student Association (RSA) Spring Formal, held at the Lincoln Plaza in Reading, have become tighter during the last year, says RSA President Matt Brick ’04. Although alcohol is served to those who are 21 years or older, "in the past, a lot of people came to the formal already extremely intoxicated," he says. "But this year we had a security officer and a police officer at the door to make sure people were okay and didn’t get out of control."
Brick says there were a few people who did have to leave. "They were upset, but the policy was made clear to all students before the event. If they chose to come intoxicated, then it was their own fault."
Security’s presence at these types of events is an important part of the equation in changing the culture of drinking. Amanda Rowe ’05, a member of AC2, says security at Albright is high. "They’re around a lot on the weekends and always at the bottom of the hill (of the Albright Woods) on Saturday evenings."
Gerken says working as a team has helped curb Albright’s alcohol problem on campus.
"We’ve developed a good relationship with the RA’s. As a result, they know when to call the Security Office," Gerken says. RA’s like Zurn say they feel confident in handling situations that involve alcohol because of the extensive training they receive at Albright. Not only are RA’s trained in First Aid and CPR, but "we’re trained in how to talk to someone who has a problem," Zurn says. "We act as a resource, a first contact, and help them to get further assistance from Security or the Health Center."
The presence of liquor control enforcement, a branch of the Pennsylvania Police Department, has also prompted the increase in reported violations. With the permission of college administration, liquor control enforcement came to campus the past two years, says Gerken. "They’ve cited a few students…not large numbers, but it sends a message," he says.
Albright Security also patrols the campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "We don’t go looking for problems. That’s not our motivation," Gerken says. "But we have to make sure everyone is safe and we have to be concerned about people coming onto the campus who aren’t authorized. If we see something going on (with alcohol) while we’re patrolling the campus we’re going to deal with it."