A hallowed image of colleges holds them to be "ivory towers" largely free of social problems. But recent figures on the extent of binge drinking are enough to render that image as merely academic.

In November 1997, researchers from the Harvard University School of Public Health published survey results from 17,600 students at 150 colleges and universities. Among the findings:

• 44 percent of students binge drank during the two weeks preceding the survey. (For men, binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks in a row; for women, it's four drinks in a row.)
• Half of binge drinkers reported at least three episodes of binge drinking within a two-week period.
• Among men, 62 percent of frequent binge drinkers reported driving under the influence of alcohol at least once; for women who frequently binge drank, the figure was 49 percent.
• Students in fraternities and sororities were four times more likely to binge drink than other students.

Binge drinking creates ripple effects that can produce serious consequences and undermine student success. According to the Core Institute at Southern Illinois University, 29 percent of college students surveyed during 1995 and 1996 complained that drinking on campus interrupted their studying. Sixty-four percent of students who experienced physical violence were under the influence of alcohol at the time. Among students who experienced unwanted sexual intercourse, 79 percent had been drinking. Such facts are less surprising when we understand how campus norms can put students at risk for alcohol abuse. To begin, heavy drinking is often seen as a rite of passage. One ceremony known as the "chug-a-lug" involves rapid guzzling of beera practice that can lead to fatal overdose. Alcohol poisoning deaths have been reported at several campuses the past two years. "Chugging" contests at local bars pose a similar hazard, encouraging students to ingest as much of a drug as they can in a short time period. Even at alumni gatherings, we find former students waxing sentimental about the alcohol binges of their college years.

Such romance with alcohol is not lost on advertisers who target their messages to campus audiences. Advertisements encourage students to "hoist a brew" after a game or take advantage of discounted happy hours. What's more, liquor companies sponsor athletic events, concerts and other campus activities. Some companies have assigned sales representatives to college campuses. Many college administrators feel alarmed by the consequences of alcohol abuse among students. Yet when it comes to responding, they also feel trapped. They fear that an outright ban on drinking will drive the problem elsewhere in the community or be ignored. And it is technically illegal for colleges to promote "responsible alcohol use" to students who are under the legal drinking age.

Despite these limitations, there is much that colleges can do about binge drinking. Recommendations from a report by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse include:

• Developing a national "Alcohol Awareness Index" that indicates how seriously a college is addressing alcohol problems.
• Banning alcohol-related advertising and promotions on campus.
• Countering alcohol advertising with messages that reveal the consequences of alcohol abuse.
• Offering campus-based programs to prevent and treat alcohol abuse.
• Providing more alcohol-free recreational activities.
• Offering non-alcoholic beverages at all campus events.
• Allowing only people with adequate training to serve alcohol.
• Encouraging students to engage in community service and other activities that foster self-esteem.

Part of the solution is helping students align perception with reality. "It seems that college students consistently overestimate the drinking that's done by their peers," says Philip Meilman PhD, codirector of the Core Institute and director of the counseling center at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. "Then they attempt to emulate the perceived norm.

"But when you educate a campus about what the actual numbers are, there's some evidence that students lower their binge drinking," Meilman adds. "This is one of hundreds of strategies that people have tried, and it seems to be a promising one."

The key message is that over half of college students drink responsibly or abstain. When that point hits home, binge drinkers on campus will figure out that they're still in the minority.

--Published August 17, 1998