Binge
drinking decreases by 14.7% at CSULB
By
Cristina Madrid
Daily Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
Cal State Long Beach makes a sober toast to recent statistics of a decline
in alcohol-related misconduct, according to the California State University
Alcohol Policy report submitted to the CSU Board of Trustees in July.
A reported 14.7 percent decline in binge drinking and 5 percent reduction in
alcohol-impaired driving has been accredited to educational programs, such
as the Alcohol, Tobacco and other drugs program (ATOD) and the Drug, Alcohol,
and Tobacco Education program found at CSULB. According to anonymous student
surveys found in the report, programs like these and the partnership with law
enforcement are the top two reasons alcohol-related activities have reduced.
Ralph Davis, coordinator of ATOD, credits the success of his program in part
to the decrease of binge drinking over the last couple of years, but feels
it is a collaborative effort between his program and the academic community
to come together and resolve the issue.
“Our goal at ATOD is to reach out to the students of CSULB, [and] pass
along information about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and the dangers they
posses,” Davis said.
ATOD’s services include peer education presentations, outreach opportunities
with the community which include going into to dorms every Wednesday and passing
out promotional items, and conducting various awareness events where vendors
are invited to the campus to sell their merchandise and more information is
distributed.
In a summary of the July 19-20 Board of Trustees meeting, all CSUs were required
by the state to create alcohol education, prevention and enforcement programs
in 2001. Furthermore, the state’s Office of Traffic Safety created two
initiatives, the Sober Driver Initiative and the Alcohol and Traffic Safety
initiative, which would grant participating CSU’s with funds for substance
service programs.
For the past two years, CSULB has received $55,000 of the $750,000 total granted
to the whole state under the first initiative, according to Davis.
Additional funding from the Alcohol and Traffic Safety initiative will be provided
for 2005 and 2006. Davis said money was allocated to hire trained and certified
ATOD peer educators, printing fees for promotional posters and other items
to get the message across.
Other key players in the fight against student substance abuse are the various
organizations found on campus. As former assistant coordinator of the Greek
Life organization, committee member of ATOD and current director of Student
Life and Development, Jeff Klaus has monitored plenty of student activity and
behavior to know CSULB students know better than to throw away their education
and dreams for alcohol.
“An organization that promotes alcohol as their attraction is not going
to last long. CSULB students are more career-motivated and know better,” said
Klaus about the images of fraternities and sororities, image and their indirect
tie to alcohol.
Every year, Greek officers are required to sign and know the code of conduct
when it comes to alcohol. This compliance agreement is a check and balance
between the university and the organization to remain under the code.
“Policy is good but the partnership between people is what is effective,” Klaus
said.
Greek advisers and CSU police personnel go out each year to the houses to talk
about various issues and give out useful information like emergency phone numbers.
Another measure taken by the Greeks is a mandatory new member orientation where
they discuss peer pressure and alcohol.
Although ideally the policy is there to keep students away from the danger,
there has been one occasion were a group dismantled because of repeated offenses
dealing with alcohol. Last year, Tau Kappa Epsilon had its membership revoked
after years of being reprimanded by the university for breaking code. Klaus
said they worked with the group for about two to four years, but after many
poor decisions on the group’s part they were kicked out of Greek life.
With two-thirds of students not participating in risky drinking, according
to ATOD’s Web site, CSULB hopes the number will climb higher. |
