According to a recent study by the National Center on Addictions and Substance Abuse, an increasing number of college students across the country engage in binge drinking.
However, UB officials and experts believe that although national statistics may be rising, UB is maintaining the status quo.
Dr. Sherri Darrow, director of Wellness Education Services, recognizes that binge drinking is a major problem on college campuses, however at UB there are also many students who practice healthy habits that are overlooked.
"This is an ongoing problem that's of high enough prevalence to create a need for us to continue to prevent growth and intervene effectively," Darrow said. "At the same time, there are a lot of students who are making healthy decisions and not over-indulging. Abstainers and light drinkers just aren't as visible."
According to Dr. Kathleen Parks, a senior research scientist at UB's Research Institute on Addictions, binge drinking is defined as a form of substance abuse that involves consuming five or more standard drinks for men, and four or more drinks for women per occasion. However, these amounts of drinks will affect individuals in different degrees, she added.
"I could do my homework on five drinks," said John, a sophomore at UB that requested his name to be changed for anonymity. "For me to get drunk, it probably takes eight drinks."
For John, the stress that college adds to his life creates a desire to drink.
"I drink because (the opportunity) is there, and there's so much more stress in college," he said. "Today I had an exam, and when everyone left, they were all like 'I can't wait to get drunk tonight' because everyone has been studying all week."
Studies show that going to college actually increases susceptibility to substance abuse, Parks said. According to the American Psychiatric Association's Web site, a recent study showed that 18 percent of U.S. college students suffer from significant alcohol-related problems, compared to only 15 percent of their peers that didn't attend college.
A survey conducted in October as part of the new AlcoholEDU program for incoming students showed that 30 percent of students are high-risk binge drinkers, Darrow said. This figure is similar to those that have been consistently seen nationally. At the same time, a nearly equal amount-28 percent-of freshmen identified themselves as abstainers.
Generally, heavy drinking is most common among freshmen students and lessens throughout college, Darrow said.
John said that he consumes alcohol more intensely, but less often than during his first year of college. He usually goes out in order to get drunk three times per week, Thursday through Saturday nights.
"There was 'binge drinking' going on every day of the week in my hall last year," he said. "I drink less now because I hang out with less people on my floor."
University Police make about 200 arrests per year, and a likely 90 to 95 percent of them are alcohol-related, said Chief Gerald Schoenle. In 2003, 22 DWI arrests were made, and the number has been progressively increasing each year. In 2006, 51 students were charged with driving while intoxicated. Schoenle said that these numbers could either be a result of more students partaking in binge drinking, or of increased awareness among police officers.
According to Schoenle, the busiest time of year for alcohol-related arrests is the first week of the fall semester, mostly because freshman students are adjusting to the freedom of being away from home for the first time.
Stamatina Fileas, a junior psychology major and resident advisor in the Porter Quad of the Ellicott Complex, said that alcohol-related incidents usually occur two times per semester and freshmen are a main source.
John was recently one of the few students to be caught drinking in his Schoellkopf dorm by an RA, and was referred to the Student-Wide Judiciary. Although community service is the typical consequence for this offense, he was assigned the AlcoholEDU course instead, he said.
"I turned it into a drinking game-every time the program said 'alcohol,' my roommate and I took a drink," he said.
Fileas doesn't see binge drinking as a growing problem in residence halls since instances like John's are so infrequent.
Amber Sikorski, another RA in Porter, agreed.
"I think people still drink but are more responsible and aware of the consequences," she said.
There are many efforts put in place to control heavy drinking on campus, but it's a difficult problem to combat.
"In our culture, alcohol is a socially-sanctioned drug," Parks said. "It's culturally accepted to drink and get drunk. That's tough to go against."
According to Darrow, UB's efforts are based on providing healthy activities and education on alcohol to communicate that not everyone is drinking as much as students think.
"UB is weaving a good safety net and trying to intervene with a lot of different approaches to reach students," Darrow said.
Fileas and Sikorski think that UB is doing the best they can to guide students, but there's a limit to how much control the college can have over the situation.
"There isn't much you can do to change it," Sikorski said. "They're 20 and they'll do what they want."
Take John, for example.
"I'm going straight to the liquor store after this interview," he said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
