items of interest

with contributions from Billy Graham

Up To 85 percent of all college students drink alcoholic beverages, and nearly half of them drink heavily. A report on a survey by U.S. News and World Report (January 26, 1998) notes, however, that "schools that allow drinking on campus are up to three times more likely to experience high numbers of binge drinkers."

There are ways to reduce the emphasis on booze. Changing the way a college is presented to potential students helps to shift its image away from being a "party" school. Also, if promotional materials include a description of policies relating to alcohol consumption—and the penalties students might face—the schools "were about half as likely to have high numbers of binge drinkers."

Some students prefer to go to a "dry" campus where the pressure to drink and the evidence of drinking are reduced. But on those where drinking is permitted, "consistent enforcement [of policies] is key, as is filling students' days and nights with meaningful activities."

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