|
|
|
COLLEGES ARE TRYING TO CHANGE DRINKING
CULTURE
The
following appears as an editorial in The Cleveland Plain
Dealer on Sept. 21, 1999. It is in response to a
front page article on campus drinking that appeared in
The Plain Dealer on Sept. 12. The article
correctly pointed to binge drinking as a problem facing
America's college campuses. However, although Ohio
University was prominently featured in the article, no
mention was made of the university's significant efforts to curb binge
drinking and to provide healthier alternatives for our
students.
The
editorial was written by Ohio University President Robert
Glidden.
***
The Sept.
12 Plain Dealer story, "Hitting Bars, as well as Books"
sheds some light on a dark subject that college
administrators have been grappling with for years -- alcohol
abuse by college students.
Reporter
Karen Long's story provided readers with a vivid view of the
ills of drinking on college campuses nationwide, but missing
from the story was the good news -- details of innovative
university programs aimed at educating students on the
dangers of alcohol abuse.
Far from
ignoring the issue, universities are making progress in
combating this national problem. Within the state, Ohio
University has taken the lead in a number of innovative
alcohol awareness programs, including:
- The
Personal Accountability, Trust and Honor (PATH) program
features public service announcements, a World Wide Web
educational page and literature that emphasizes an
ethical approach to individual responsibility for choices
and actions. A video version has been distributed to
local television stations, and a multimedia version is
being created for movie theaters frequented by students.
A description of PATH is available on the Internet at:
www.ohiou.edu/president/PATH.html
- The
Ohio Department of Public Safety awarded a $70,000 grant
to Ohio University in 1998 to fund an education
"Making/Breaking Habits" program to curb underage
drinking. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration provided funding for the program, the
first of its kind in Ohio in what officials hope will
become a pilot program for other universities. Officers
from the city, university and state liquor agents work as
a team to educate students in residence halls, fraternity
and sorority houses on the penalties for underage
drinking.
- Funded
by an Ohio Parents for Drug Free Use grant in 1997, the
Coalition Advocating Responsible Drinking Decisions
(CARD) is a media campaign aimed at providing students
with information that may influence their choices.
- In
1996, Ohio University was one of 19 universities
statewide to participate in the Binge Drinking Prevention
Initiative. The campaign has grown to include 38 colleges
and universities this year.
- Students
charged with public intoxication for the first time can
avoid a criminal record if they participate in a 10-hour
Second Chance program that combines counseling and
community service. None of those who participated in the
program have been rearrested.
A recent
campus-wide survey indicates these efforts are paying off --
high risk, "binge" drinking has been reduced and a majority
of students say they are very aware of issues surrounding
alcohol use.
Midnight
curfews and strict parietal rules on college campuses are
distant memories for parents of today's college students,
who face freedom and liberty, and therefore choices, their
parents never dreamed of.
I was
quoted in the article as having stated that the drinking
culture on today's college campuses may be the single
greatest obstacle to academic success. Because that is true,
we and other colleges and universities are doing all we can
to change that culture. By providing students with programs
and information on the perils of alcohol abuse, and by
emphasizing personal responsibility in the classroom and off
campus, Ohio University is making inroads in reducing
excessive drinking.
[
30 ]
|
