the recently posted binge drinking article, Los Angeles Times 1/24/2000
by Judy Silber (see below), is not only a classic example of why "binge
drinking" is THE WORST term to use when referring to high risk collegiate
drinking, but it a good example of why "binge drinking" is a pejorative
term that makes all our jobs in higher ed that much more difficult. This is
especially true when we try to address the issue of high risk drinking with
mainstream academics, administrators and legislators who are clueless about
this controversy. The "mainstream" consumer of media reports on "binge
drinking" not only develop a misperception about the social norms of
college students, but the perception of "willful" student disregard for
self and others makes it all the more difficult to stem the tide of public
cries to legislate a solution to the problem.
I believe that it is vitally important for higher ed to assertively and
frequently confront this problem. Fortunately the tide seems to have ebbed
and the rush to label students a binge drinkers has slowed in higher ed
itself, but the media continue to pursue this approach because, I suspect,
collegiate "binge drinking" sells more copy than "high risk" collegiate
drinking.
Comments?
Robert
Los Angeles Times 1/24/2000
by Judy Silber
* Experts warn that binge drinking is a serious problem among college
students because some fail to realize that alcohol is a poison that can
kill.
Having a few too many drinks can mean more than just a blackout or a bad
hangover. People who engage in binge drinking--some without even realizing
it--are courting danger, experts warn.
Binge drinking is most common at colleges and universities, where many
young adults treat drinking to excess as a rite of passage.
"Binge drinking is a problem on every campus," said Joe Kertes, vice
president and dean of students at Chapman University in Orange.
A 1997 study from the Harvard School of Public Health reports that 42.7% of
all college students engage in binge drinking, defined as consuming an
excessive amount of alcohol within a short period of time. The numbers are
lower in California but still troubling: Nearly 30% of the state's students
admit to the dangerous behavior.
The well-publicized deaths of several college students from binge drinking
in 1997 highlights the risks:
An 18-year-old freshman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology drank
himself into a coma and died. A 20-year-old fraternity pledge at Louisiana
State University died from alcohol poisoning.
"Alcohol is always toxic. It's really a poison," said Steven Schandler,
professor of psychology at Chapman University and chief of addiction
research at the Long Beach Veterans Affairs Health Care System, who added
that binge drinking can lead to alcohol poisoning. "Because it's a poison,
like any other poison, if you take in a little bit, you might tolerate it,
but if you take in a lot, you might die."
Administrators and doctors say that college freshmen are especially at risk
for alcohol poisoning, in part because they often lack the maturity to
refrain or stop. And for some who may be new to drinking, their bodies have
a relatively low tolerance for alcohol. But problems with alcohol aren't
limited to teenagers and young adults.
A 39-year-old Buena Park man recently recalled that two days of steady
imbibing on a trip to Las Vegas several years ago left him in bad shape.
"My whole body was saying, 'Help, we're in trouble,' " said Curt, who did
not want his last name used. "My stomach hurt. My head hurt. I had a hard
time breathing."
Curt didn't go to a hospital, but in retrospect, he said he should have.
Instead, for three days, he didn't work, hardly ate and drank only water.
The experience changed his drinking habits. He still drinks beer socially,
but when he thinks he's approached his limit, "I stop, because I don't want
to go there again."
Doctors say blood alcohol levels of about .4%--five times the legal
intoxication limit of .08%--can induce potentially lethal side effects in
most people.
Alcoholics have higher limits. Although not well understood, enzymes that
break down and expel alcohol in the liver and kidneys do so more
effectively in seasoned drinkers, allowing them to tolerate more, Schandler
said.
Regardless of a person's tolerance, alcohol exerts its influence when the
amount of alcohol taken in exceeds the amount that the body can digest.
At that point, alcohol passes from the bloodstream into the brain and
begins its attack.
Alcohol first affects the brain's cortex, which controls more sophisticated
thought processes. That's why people generally become less inhibited under
the influence of alcohol, and some are more willing to try things that
could be dangerous to themselves or others.
Coordination, mainly controlled by the cerebellum, is the next to go,
leading to slurred speech and difficulty walking in a straight line. As
excessive drinking continues, alcohol moves deeper into the brain until "it
gets to the very basic structure of the brain stem that affects things like
respiration and heart beat," said Dr. Bret Ginther, an assistant clinical
professor of emergency medicine at UC Irvine. At that point, people may
pass out or fall into a coma. Their vital signs may weaken.
"The most common cause of death from alcohol poisoning is respiratory
arrest," said Ginther. Eventually, the heart simply stops.
Getting to that point is fairly unusual. But Ginther said that at least
once or twice a month, patients--often college students--are brought into
the emergency room at UCI Medical Center in Orange suffering from alcohol
poisoning.
Signs of alcohol poisoning include vomiting, pallor, unresponsiveness and,
in extreme cases, loss of consciousness.
"When a person shows signs of poisoning, it's important to get them to a
hospital as quickly as possible," said Schandler.
College officials say they are always on the lookout for alcohol abuse but
say there is no fail-safe method to keep students from drinking.
Many colleges try to educate students, especially those caught drinking
illegally or causing disruptions. The Higher Education Center for Alcohol
and Other Drug Prevention in Newton, Mass., advocates a community-based
approach that includes administrators, faculty, police and businesses in
the fight to curb binge drinking, in part by being on alert for people
abusing alcohol. The center also stresses the importance of parental
guidance and urges parents to have frank discussions with their children
about excessive drinking.
"This is cultural. If we're going to change the method, it will take time
and a collective effort," said Joel Epstein, associate director for the
center.
Robert J. Chapman, Ph.D.
Coordinator, AOD Program
Associate Faculty, Clinical/Counseling Psychology
La Salle University Counseling Center
1900 W. Olney Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19141-1199
Phone: 215-951-1355 Fax: 215-951-1451
mailto:chapman@lasalle.edu
home page http://www.lasalle.edu/~chapman/home.htm
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