A certain fact is that college students will drink alcohol. Will anyone disagree with that? The key is keeping the brightest of our nation’s future safe. It is always nice when we see that colleges, hospitals, and other institutions seek to educate their personnel. This has a double-edged positive effect. First, it makes employees aware of the dangers and physical signs of addiction. It also makes everyone who takes aware of the dangers and impacts of alcohol abuse on the human body.
Dateline – Boston College University (as well as every other University in the country)
The college year is in full swing — and so are the keg parties. And the police. In the first month of the school year, the Boston Police Department received 150 criminal complaints against students. His words should be heeded. Please look for the general meaning and peripheral meanings.
“We are not the anti-party police, but if you are going to draw our attention, shame on you,” Superintendent William B. Evans said.
Boston University, one of 32 schools in the Learning Collaborative on High-Risk Drinking, has upped the ante in problem areas off-campus in Allston. Extra manpower by both BU and Boston police patrol the student swath known as the GAP (Gardner, Ashford and Pratt streets) on Fridays through Sundays.
Last month, BU police transported 33 students to the hospital for alcohol use. Two underage students were arrested for possession of alcohol, and 24 students were sent to criminal court in Boston and Brookline for possessing or procuring alcohol for minors. BU police officer Peter Shin said transports due to alcohol are up 29 percent from last year. They made a conscious decision this year to step up enforcement, not that we haven’t in previous years.
Boston College in Massachusetts also doesn’t take the issue lightly. “If a student gets documented (imbibing) in a residence hall or by a BC police officer, they are given a referral to us for counseling..
Even with these disciplinary deterrents, university officials know the parties will continue.
For eight years, incoming BC freshmen have been required to take an alcohol education course online before arrival. The school also promotes a drink-safe program called Green Zone (baczone.com). Students are given wallet-sized cards that show blood alcohol levels based on weight and gender.
But some students see crackdowns as just another back-to-school routine.
A study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) found that students who took alcohol prevention training online reported reduced alcohol use in the fall semester, but did not follow through in the spring.
“For so many years we were relying on educating students on alcohol. We know now that education doesn’t translate to behavior change,” said Judith McGuire Robinson, associate dean for student outreach and support at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “The prevention is about creating a culture that supports low-risk, student safety and student success.”
Mary Lynne Detoni-Hill and Kelly Hoyer, both 19-year-old BU sophomores, said there is little variety in off-campus activities for those not yet 21 years old.
“I’ve always looked on Google for different ideas of stuff to do in Boston,” Detoni-Hill said. “We want to go bowling, but on the weekend it’s 21 and up. During the week we can go but we have class.”
Alcohol consumption and college life has gone hand-in-hand long enough. It is time that colleges embrace a more sober society.
While you serious alcoholics out there may question the validity, it is a fact that serious addiction does not take hold for many years. So, if you can break the addictive behavior cycle early, you may be able to avoid long-term addiction issues.