Binge drinking is a major problem seen on college campuses all around the United States.  There are many contributing factors that lead to students engaging in binge drinking.  Minors who are not allowed to consume alcohol in public will often consume as much alcohol as possible in their dorms or houses before going to engage in social activities such as: parties, concerts, or sporting events.  This act of “pre-gaming” leads to students blacking out, which alters the state of your brain and could result in alcohol poisoning or death. Drinking games are one of the top contributors to this rising epidemic. Games such as beer pong, flip-cup, kings cup and quarters attribute to students getting too drunk and winding up in the hospital or making unfavorable decisions. Although the UO Greek system is dry, Greek life is often associated with binge drinking across the nation. Rituals such as hazing, lead to a dangerous amount of alcohol consumption. The culture of binge drinking is forced underground by the laws set forth and enforced by local law enforcement. Punishing kids for drinking causes a fear of getting help to someone who has consumed too much, with fear of repercussions.

Our multimedia assignment touches on some of the dangers of underage drinking, as well as provides commentary from DPS officer Sergeant Scott Cameron on the consequences of underage drinking. Our interview with DPS officer Sergeant Scott Cameron was very informative about the dangers of underage drinking. It was important for us to get the opinion of law enforcement since this is an issue that they are faced with daily.  Officer Cameron has seen these dangers first hand and was a helpful and credible source.

We made our video fun as well as informative to draw in the attention of students who are concerned with the issue. By using interviews from University of Oregon students in our video, we hoped to shred light on some of the common opinions and trends of alcohol abuse.  We interviewed students of all genders and ages and found that many believed the drinking age should be lowered from 21. One student says, “If you can go to war and die for the United States of America, you should be able to drink.” We had many responses similar to this and found that students believe that they are mature enough to consume alcohol before the age of 21. We also talked to students about how their academic performance reflects their drinking habits and got many similar responses. We found that many students put their schoolwork first, but that it is not uncommon to miss lectures due to a crazy night at the bars the night before.

We also obtained interviews from UO students who were under the influence to illustrate the effects of drinking, as well as to collect data about their alcohol consumption and their plans for getting home. We saw that many students binge drink at parties, and that a common way to get home was by walking. These interviews, along with party scenes, added a real-life element to our video by capturing the “party atmosphere” that students often engage in.

By conducting a survey of 100 students at the University of Oregon, we gathered very valuable information about drinking habits at the UO. One of the most startling results gathered was that out of the 100 people surveyed, only 52% said that they utilized DDS, a free designated driving service available to all UO students. Another disturbing result collected was that 46% of the people we surveyed would either consider driving or get in a car with someone who has been drinking on a given night.  After seeing these statistics our group made it our goal to inform students of the safe ride opportunities available to them.

By creating a poster that resembles a party flyer, our hope is to educate students on how to consume alcohol responsibly. We put preventative tips that if followed, decrease your chance of blacking out or making poor decisions. Also, by putting, “RSVP to DDS” and providing their number, we hope to raise awareness of this service that is provided by the UO.

Drinking is an issue that law enforcement cannot tackle on their own. It is important that students who engage in drinking know their limits and know how to take care of themselves. Choose Responsibility is an organization that advocates for responsible drinking. They have also proposed an education plan, which we think would be a beneficial way to reduce binge drinking among adolescents. It would work similar to how a driver’s license works. Minors would have to go through an education program, and after passing this program would receive a liquor license; which could be taken away if not used responsibly. A program such as this would educate adolescents instead of them taking it upon themselves and experimenting.

If you choose to drink, please do so responsibly.

The University of Oregon DPS (Department of Public Safety) plays a role at the university to provide safety to the community. They also bring a welcoming presence to the school environment. Drinking among college students can result in many consequences that DPS officers handle. Sergeant Scott Cameron, a DPS officer working the weekend night shifts states,  “Some of these consequences are two hundred and seventy five dollar citations to students for drinking as well as date rape and drug aspect.” When college students binge drink, they are more likely to get seriously sick or act out of order. Officer Cameron says,  “We are dealing with the drunken student ripping out the sign and the drunk student in the dorm passed out in their bed, who we need to rush to the hospital. Last night we transported one to the hospital with a blood alcohol level of .035.” DPS offers students safety and assistance if a student gets to a point of emergency medical need. Officer Cameron states, “DPS’s main concern is keeping people from getting hurt.”

Other serious consequences that accompany drinking are Fake ID’s. A feature on the University of Oregon website talks about Fake ID’s and what legal concerns come with it. Brandon Oberlin, writer of the article, says,  “Possession of false ID that has been home manufactured is also a class C felony. Using another person’s ID is a misdemeanor as is loaning an ID to a friend for deceptive use.” Using a fake ID is common among students; most of these students don’t see any harm in them and do not realize what it can do to their record. The consequences will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

At the University of Oregon, safe drinking precautions are taught to the students through student housing and different programs on campus. Through the university’s website, the student life page advocates statistics of the past 13 years. “1,700 college students die from alcohol-related accidents.” It is evident that many dangers come along with drinking and if the consequences are better advertised, more students will be safer.

Links:

1. U of O DPS Website

http://safetyweb.uoregon.edu/

2. DPS Officer Scott Cameron Interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD7e9Cz7Z-o

3. Binge Drinking

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/02/12/health/main599904.shtml

4. U of O Site: False Identification Article

http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~ocomment/ocarchive/oc99_00/oc8_99_11.html

5. Student Life: University of Oregon

http://studentlife.uoregon.edu/SupportandEducation/SubstanceAbusePrevention/CollegeDrinking/tabid/82/Default.aspx

Everyone knows someone who has received a DUI. It could be your best friend, a relative or someone in your dorm. A majority of these people will tell you that it was the worst decision of their life. Driving under the influence is one of the top killers in the United States and one of the least responsible acts you can do. Over 1.46 million drivers were arrested in 2006 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. Driving under the influence carries major penalties such as steep fines, a suspended drivers license and in many cases jail time.

According to our survey of 100 University of Oregon Students, 26% percent said they rarely drive or get in a car with someone intoxicated. On top of that, 14% of Oregon students surveyed said they occasionally do. Another 5% said they would only if it was the only option available. Unfortunately, that is 45% of the students we surveyed! This is an outrageous and disturbingly high number. What are some resources can we utilize to bring these numbers down?

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), is the leading campaign against driving under the influence. Under their mission statement they, “aid the victims of crimes performed by individuals driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.” MADD has been fighting driving under the influence since 1980 and are the leading force against the crime. They regularly appear on television and around college campuses.

In 2005, The State of New Mexico was the first to institute breath-monitoring ignitions in cars of people convicted of DUI. This is an effective tool to keep people from another DUI but still can’t prevent the first one from happening.

Where I am originally from, we have a program called Every 15 Minutes. Program directors call it Every 15 Minutes because they say that is how often someone in the US dies of a DUI related accident. The program takes student from your high school and puts them into a mock DUI assembly on the football field. It is emotional, gruesome and extremely difficult to watch because those are your friends who lay dead on the field. The program ends with a funeral and emotions explode as the dead read letters to their parents and vice versa.

48% of the people who took our survey say they never utilize DDS.  Be responsible and save lives by calling them at (541) 346-7433.

Links:

How to reduce DUI deaths
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jan/07/reducing-dui-deaths/

Every 15 minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5-PtOoEaqQ

Drinking and driving statistics from 2006
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810809.PDF

Mothers Against Drunk Driving
http://www.madd.org/About-us/About-us/Mission-Statement.aspx

How much a DUI will cost you
http://www.duioffense.org/duifines.html

Many seniors in high school apply to colleges all over the country, and have a list of demands each university must meet. Some students want to be close to home or far away from their parents. But most students are curious about the partying that takes place at each school. A lot of young adults associate fraternities and sororities with how they are portrayed on television and in movies. They think Greek life means having ridiculous parties and getting wasted seven nights a week. SelfHelp Magazine states that Greek life has an impact on binge drinking because students are more likely to drink when people around them are drinking. But college life is filled with many parties that are not centered on fraternities and sororities. Binge drinking occurs among all students who make the decision to place having partying over their academics, and is not the result of being in a sorority or fraternity. But Greek organizations in universities have gotten in trouble in the past for involving alcohol in their events. A study done by the Journal of American College Health states students who involve themselves in Greek organizations are more likely to end up as alcoholics and are more likely to indulge in drinking more and studying less.

However, at the University of Oregon, this common stereotype is false. As stated on the University of Oregon Greek life website there are many more aspects to Greek life such as community service. The new president of Panhellenic (the governing body of sororities on campus), Barbara Titus, shared her thoughts on the false stereotypes of Greek life on the U of O campus, and what sororities and fraternities are really about.

Many very important people in our country have come from a Greek organization. According to a Student Affairs website, all but two of our U.S. presidents since 1825 have been Greek. Also, 71% of Greeks graduate college, while only about 50% of non-Greeks do. As Barbara stated in her interview, at the University of Oregon Greek members are required to meet a certain grade average, the all-Greek student grade average the U of O is higher than the average grade point average of non-Greeks. College binge drinking is a very serious issue that should not be blamed on Greek life. Students need to take responsibility for the choices they make on their own.

1. SelfHelp Magazine – Fraternity and Sorority Drinking Patterns

http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/article/fraternity

2. Examiner Eugene – Sororities in Trouble for Drinking

http://www.examiner.com/a-991707~Sororities_in_trouble_for_drinking.html

3. Associated Content – Greek Life and Alcohol

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1109980/greek_life_and_alcohol.html?cat=4

4. University of Oregon – Greek Life

http://www.uoregon.edu/~greek/index.shtml

5. Student Affairs – Greek Life

http://www.ecu.edu/cs-studentaffairs/greeklife/statistics.cfm

6. Barbara Titus

Panhellenic President

In the United States, it is legal for an eighteen-year old to vote, rent a house, enlist in the military, get married, and buy tobacco. At eighteen, adolescents are legally considered adults; yet, they are not given the right to consume alcohol until the age of 21. The drinking age in the US in amongst the highest in the world, which directly reflects in an abuse of alcohol by minors. Drinking often drives the social atmosphere on college campuses; which commonly takes place underground due-to the fact that many students consuming alcohol are doing so illegally.

The party atmosphere combined with a drinking age of 21 contributes to students engaging in binge drinking, very commonly by partaking in drinking games. These games, such as beer pong, flip cup and quarters, have become an epidemic all over the country and are continually growing. Lesley Stahl of 60 minutes talks to students about the drinking scene at their universities, in the following video:

Students often ‘pre-game’ before going out. Pre-gaming requires students consume as much alcohol as they can in order to store it in their systems while they go out; this is very common in underage students who are not allowed to consume alcohol in public. This causes minors to consume too much alcohol in a short amount of time, which can lead to alcohol poisoning and even death. Students who suffer from alcohol poisoning often do not receive adequate help due-to the fact minors are nervous about getting in trouble for breaking the law. The Eugene Police Department as has their own ‘party patrol’ unit that works to eliminate underage drinking; along side with the University of Oregon’s Department of Public Safety. In 2008, 238 students were handed citations on campus for alcohol related incidents and 2,359 received referrals; this number is miniscule to the number of students who engage in underage drinking. In September 2009 the ‘party patrol’ issued 170, primarily alcohol-related, citations in one weekend. Law enforcement works hard to eliminate underage drinking, however by scaring minors they are forcing it underground and creating a dangerous culture of irresponsible drinking.

Over 100 college presidents believe that the solution to this culture is to lower the drinking age to 18. These presidents have created the Amethyst Initiative in attempt to do so. Choose Responsibility is an organization fighting to teach young adults how to drink responsibly. Lesley Stahl of 60 minutes takes an in depth look at the drinking age, and the dangers behind the 21 age limit in the following video:

As young adults experiment with alcohol, they do so without the supervision of responsible adults. This often leads to reckless behavior and no awareness of limits. If the drinking age was lowered to 18, adolescents would have role models to teach them how to drink responsibly. What we need is alcohol education and to focus our attention on over-consumption of alcohol, rather than how many 20-year olds have a few beers on the weekends.

Links:

1. College Presidents Seek Drinking Age Debate- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26271328/

2. 60 Minutes: Debate on a lower drinking age-http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/19/60minutes/main4813571.shtml

3. 15 reasons why the drinking age should be 18- http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/19/60minutes/main4813571.shtml

4. University of Oregon Alcohol Crime Rates- http://safetyweb.uoregon.edu/node/11

5. Eugene ‘Party Patrol’- http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/eugene_police_party_patrol_iss.html

6. College Presidents Seek to Lower Drinking Age-(Amethyst Initiative)- http://www.amethystinitiative.org/statement/

7. Choose Responsibility- http://www.chooseresponsibility.org/home/

The University of Oregon’s greatest sports legend and an Olympic champion who inspired the nation in the 1970’s, Steve Prefontaine was killed at the age of 24 while driving his sports car near the University of Oregon. Pre’s blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit at the time of his death. Drinking and driving laws need reform. An initiative began in 1988 called “Designated Driver”. This program has been successful and saved many lives. However, the statistics still remain that many college students die from drunk driving accidents. The University of Oregon provides a designated driver shuttle for students who may not be able to drive home safely from licensed drinking establishments. However, even with the good ideas implemented it is astonishing that in 2001, 2.8 million college students drove a car while under the influence of alcohol.

The CBC show, 60 Minutes, features a story about a freshman at the University of Colorado, Gordie Bailey, who was at a fraternity initiation party and the pledges were asked to drink 10 gallons of hard alcohol and wine in half an hour. Gordie passed out and the frat brothers did not take him to the hospital, for fear of getting in trouble for underage drinking. They left him to die. Now his parents are pushing for a lower drinking age law so that others will not fear the consequences of underage drinking. In fact, over 100 college presidents are pushing for a lower drinking age law. They believe that the age 21 drinking law is actually causing an increase in binge drinking. The former president of Middlebury College in Vermont, John McCardell, says the age 21 law “has been an abysmal failure. It has simply driven it underground, behind closed doors, into the most risky and least manageable of settings.”

Gordies parents have started the Gordie Foundation to spread the word about the dangers of alcohol abuse. In October 2006 they spoke at the University of Oregon and shared the story of Gordie. Later, a letter was written to the Foundation from an Oregon Beta who said the presentation saved a pledges life. They took the boy to the hospital and saved his life.
Death related to alcohol in college students is an ongoing struggle. It is a very sad situation, but is made even worse because it is so preventable. Hopefully someday our country, we will get this right.

Links

G.O.R.D. Guidelines and Objectives of Responsible Drinking

http://gordeducation.com/events/all-greek-fraternity-presentation-university-oregon

The Debate on Lowering the Drinking Age: 60 Minutes – CBS

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/19/60minutes/main4813571_page2.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

College Presidents Seek Lower Drinking Age

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,405766,00.html

Greek Life and Alcohol

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1109980/greek_life_and_alcohol.html?cat=4

Mothers Against Drunk Driving – Under 21

http://www.madd.org/Under-21/College/Statistics.aspx

Prefontaine

http://www2.localaccess.com/rlalonde/pre.htm

The University of Oregon did not make the Princeton Review’s list top 20 party schools in 2009.  Even though Oregon is not considered one of the top party schools in the nation, Eugene police and University officials have had their hands full in the past with out of control parties and booze fueled riots.  In 2002, Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer declared that all fraternities and sororities would become “dry.”  College campuses that have gone dry generally ban the sale and consumption of alcohol on campus buildings.  Frohnmayer made the decision because of a sharp rise in alcohol related arrests around campus.  Riots had become common because the community wasn’t funding the Eugene Police party patrol force.  The force cost local taxpayers thousands of dollars per weekend.

When Frohnmayer made the decision to go dry, students at Oregon were not pleased.  One member of the greek system felt “discriminated” by the ruling and another felt that the, “policies are going to prevent some people from looking at the system.”  The current university drug and alcohol policy states: “The illegal use, possession, or distribution of drugs and alcohol on institutionally-owned or controlled property or as part of any University activity is proscribed (illegal) conduct.”  The dry campus has helped to diminish most partying at greek houses but there are certain externalities against dry campuses.  The most important is the worry of some residents that all the partying has moved to the streets of Eugene. Without fraternities and sororities hosting parties, house parties have become increasingly more popular and dangerous.  Eugene Police Lt. Angie San Miguel says the conduct on campus this year is, “the worst I’ve seen.”  Even though an estimated 1/3 of all college campuses are considered dry, the party school aura allures many students to campuses across America.  The University of Oklahoma made its campus dry after the death of a student.  The University has instituted a three-strike policy for disciplining students who break drinking rules.

Links:

1/3 of colleges nation wide are considered “dry”

http://www.chicagomaroon.com/2005/2/3/alcohol-bans-felt-at-third-of-campuses-nationwide

University of Oregon drug and alcohol policy

http://hr.uoregon.edu/policy/drug-alcohol-policy.html

The University of Oregon campus goes dry

http://www.dailyemerald.com/2.2358/greek-system-goes-dry-1.223528

Booze fueled riots in Eugene

http://www.dailyemerald.com/2.2358/riot-restitution-1.223377

Top 20 party schools

http://www.princetonreview.com/Schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=737

Eugene Police concerned about the number of parties

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/cityregion/23449430-41/story.csp

According to a study done by the American Psychiatry Association, every four out of five college students consume alcohol on a semi regular basis, and forty percent of those drink heavily. Excessive drinking has become a large issue on college campus’ due to the growing rate of crimes under the influence. During a seven-month college school year, one in twenty women reported being raped. It’s very important that college students understand how serious this issue is, and educate themselves on how to prevent these situations. University of Oregon’s “Sexual Violence and Prevention Education” website has helpful information about the effects of drinking and ways to prevent sexual assault. It states 90% of all campus rapes occur when alcohol has been used by either the victim or assailant. Another study has shown that college campuses with higher rates of binge drinking are more likely to have rape crimes. Unfortunately, when a victim of rape is intoxicated, they are unable to remember if they complied or refused. College students, males in particular, are faced with the possibility of being accused of rape when neither person is able to remember if consent took place. Becoming too intoxicated can lead to confusion and result in an unwanted sex act. College campus’ are becoming more aware of this issue and are asking women to avoid these situations by avoiding heavy drinking. Many colleges have set up walks to spread awareness of the issue and speak about it to colleges all over the country. Also, safe ride programs have been becoming more popular on campus’ to avoid students walking home intoxicated or alone.

Safe ride programs on college campuses not only prevent possible assaults and abductions, but also prevent drunk driving, which is the most harmful post drinking activity. 2.1 million students, ages 18-24, drove under the influence in 2007. This high rate of drunk drivers did not only contribute to the extremely high rate of deaths, but also it caused many college students to receive DUI (driving under the influence) citations. Safe ride programs are usually run by students in the university and are free. The University of Oregon’s safe ride program, DDS (Designated Driver Shuttle), is open seven days a week and is a “no questions asked” program. DDS will not report underage drinking; they just want to make sure students get home safe. It is very important for students to become aware of the safe ride programs at their campus and utilize it when necessary. By becoming aware of the programs and informational websites out there, students can try to prevent these harmful situations that excessive drinking creates.

1. Study: Four in 5 College Students Drink

http://media.www.elvaq.com/media/storage/paper925/news/2006/08/17/CollegiateNewshealth/Study.Four.In.5.College.Students.Drink-2535224.shtml

2. Sexual Violence Prevention and Education

http://www.uoregon.edu/~asapgtf/Get-educatedRoleofAlcohol.html

3. Rape Linked to Heavy Drinking

http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/college/a/blcas040214.htm

4. A Snapshot of Annual High-Risk College Drinking Consequences

http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/StatsSummaries/snapshot.aspx

5. Did you know?

http://www.madd.org/Drunk-Driving/Drunk-Driving/Statistics.aspx

6. DDS
http://www.uoregon.edu/~asuodds/mission.html