Robert, maybe I'm not reading up to capacity today, but I'm not sure of
your point. If it is to not use the label "Binge Drinking," then I am
with you entirely. I felt that getting rid of the term and use the
"high risk" term in this article could make the article a pretty good
article. I'm not understanding why"the mainstream consumer develops a
misperception about social norms" when using this term unless it is
truly all about binge vs. high risk. Did I catch your drift? I think I
am in total agreement, and maybe I am reading between the lines.
Please advise.
Corey
--On Mon, Jan 24, 2000 10:18 AM -0800 "Robert J. Chapman, Ph.D."
<chapman@LASALLE.EDU> wrote:
> 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.
_____________________________________________________________________
Corita (Corey) Fischer
Health Education/UMD Health Services
University of Minnesota Duluth
815 E. University Circle
Duluth, Minnesota 55812
Phone:218-726-7058
Fax: 218-726-6132
cfischer@d.umn.edu
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