MAILED: Oct. 22, 2001
EAU CLAIRE — Educators at the University of
Wisconsin-Eau Claire have a message for anyone who thinks that all college students drink
excessively: You’re wrong.
In fact, research shows that a majority of UW-Eau
Claire students drink in moderation or don’t drink at all. And most students
disapprove of those who do abuse alcohol.
“We need our students — and high school students
thinking about college — to know that excessive drinking is not the norm at
UW-Eau Claire,” said Sarah Harvieux, university health educator and alcohol
education coordinator. “A majority of our students are making healthy
choices — they are enjoying their college years without drinking
excessively.”
The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey, completed for the
second time in September 2000, found that more than 96 percent of the UW-Eau
Claire students surveyed believe that the average student uses alcohol at
least once a week. In actuality, fewer than 50 percent of students reported
using alcohol once a week.
“Students — along with everyone else — have
misperceptions about the level of student alcohol use,” said UW-Eau Claire
Chancellor Donald Mash, who chairs the UW System Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse
Work Group. “Alcohol abuse among students is a serious problem but a
majority of our students are drinking in moderation or not drinking. Students
are drinking less than is commonly believed.”
And that message needs to get out because if high
school and college students believe that most college students drink
excessively, they may feel pressure to join in what they consider to be normal
behavior, Harvieux said. The pressure is lessened if people know that drinking
moderately or not drinking at all is actually the norm on campus, she said.
The survey of UW-Eau Claire students also
found:
- 64 percent said their friends would disapprove if they drank five or more
drinks in one sitting
- 74 percent have not missed a class because of drinking
- 70 percent have never driven while under the influence of alcohol or other
drugs
-
One-third do not have an alcoholic beverage in a typical week
- 75 percent report refusing an offer of alcohol or other drugs in the last 30
days
UW-Eau Claire educators are highlighting the survey and
other alcohol-related topics this week as part of National Collegiate Alcohol
Awareness Week. A number of information sessions and alcohol-free events are
scheduled on campus. And several UW-Eau Claire representatives — including the
Chancellor — are participating in a UW System AODA Symposium, which focuses on
developing strategic plans for dealing with AODA issues at the institution and
system levels.
While a majority of UW-Eau Claire students are making
healthy choices when it comes to alcohol use, alcohol still is the No. 1 health
issue for students, said Robert Shaw, associate dean of students. Alcohol is
involved in a significant percentage of student misconduct, it plays a role in
academic failure, and it contributes to the risk of student injury, arrests and
sometimes death, he said, adding that alcohol misuse also creates problems with
vandalism, health impairments, unwanted sexual advances/assaults, violence and
depression.
And because alcohol-related problems occur on and off
campus, its effects reach beyond campus boundaries.
“The reality is that we have some control over students
and their behavior when they are on campus,” Shaw said. “We have less control
when they are out in the community. Our students are like other young adults
when they are in the community — it’s up to them to be responsible, to follow
the laws. We are limited in the things that we can do to control off-campus
behavior.”
But the university can — and does — support police efforts
to aggressively enforce the law, Shaw said, just as the university aggressively
enforces the laws and policies that apply to on-campus behavior. “Consistent
enforcement of laws and policies — be it on or off campus — is important if we
are to send a clear message to students about our unwillingness to tolerate
alcohol-related misconduct,” he said, noting that assessment, counseling and
treatment also play important roles in the university’s plan to address
alcohol-related issues.
The university is continuing to identify ways to infuse
alcohol prevention and education messages into classroom, curriculum and other
programming, helping students understand the value of making healthy choices,
which includes being a good neighbor and a responsible community member, Shaw
said.
UW-Eau Claire has increased efforts to identify and promote
alcohol-free events and activities available to students on and off campus,
helping them identify alternatives to house parties, bars and other high-risk
environments, Harvieux said. For example, Health Services and University
Recreation now create monthly top 10 lists highlighting alcohol-free
activities, activities that range from concerts to the climbing wall to free
movies and shopping excursions.
“What’s really exciting is that many of our students are
planning events that provide healthy choice alternatives for other students,”
Harvieux said, noting that Student Senate leaders are heading the effort to get
the city to extend bus service into the late evening hours on weekends, making
it easier for students to see late movies at the mall and participate in other
alcohol-free community activities.
UW-Eau Claire’s efforts to address alcohol-related
problems are enhanced by Mash’s willingness to discuss the issue, Shaw said.
“The Chancellor’s involvement sends the message that prevention is a priority
and it reinforces messages delivered in other ways,” he said, noting that Mash
speaks candidly with students and parents about alcohol and high-risk behavior
during every new student orientation session each summer.
And Mash’s leadership on the AODA Working Group — a
coordinating body for system-wide initiatives and guidance on AODA issues — has
been particularly meaningful, Shaw said. It was at the recommendation of the
AODA Working Group that the UW System Board of Regents revised UW System
alcohol policies earlier this year, requiring that all campuses identify ways
to measure who is drinking dangerously and whether efforts to reduce the
problem are effective. The policy also requires that each school find ways to
ensure that everyone on campus knows about the dangers of excessive drinking.
“Alcohol abuse among college students is a serious issue
that we have been working diligently at for several years,” Mash said. “Some
progress has been made but there is still much work to be done as a campus and
a System.”
For more information about Alcohol Awareness Week
activities at UW-Eau Claire, contact Harvieux at (715) 836-2001.
-30-
JB
[Administrative Offices]
[News Bureau]
UW-Eau Claire News Bureau
Schofield 201
(715) 836-4741
newsbur@uwec.edu
Updated: Oct. 22, 2001
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