College drinking: What parents need to know

Pre-gaming, beer pong and jello shots are as much a part of college life as fraternities, football and finals. Will your student drink? The answer is probably yes so, as his parent, there are some important things you need to know.

What's the big deal?

The big deal is this: It is estimated that drinking by college students aged 18-24 contributes to an estimated 1,700 student deaths, 599,000 injuries, and 97,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape each year. Those are serious consequences. That bears repeating: 1,700 student deaths, 599,000 injuries, and 97,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape each year. And that's not all. Unsafe sex is a big problem too. Research indicates that some 400,000 students reported unprotected sex after drinking and another 100,000 report having been too drunk to know if they consented to sex. And there's significant issues with health/suicide, property damage, drunk driving and vandalism.

What is your college's alcohol policy?

Most colleges and universities no longer turn a blind eye to underage drinking and have instituted strict policies on consumption and particularly on the sale of alcohol to a minor. A 2002 Task Force on College Drinking, supported by the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse, put in motion an extensive series of prevention and awareness programs that have been adopted by hundreds of colleges.

You and your child should be aware of his college's policies regarding alcohol. Check the school's website, or for a state-by-state listing, go to www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/policies, as policies vary by school. In Virginia, George Mason University prohibits alcohol in any first year residential area, regardless of age of the freshman. James Madison University's policy reminds students that underage possession or purchase of alcohol is punishable by up to 12 months in jail, a fine of $2500, or both and possible loss of a driver's license for up to a year. The University of Virginia has an extensive policy regarding alcohol on campus; their student-athletes are subject to additional policies as well.

It's academic

As a parent, you should know this startling statistic: about one-third of first-year students fail to enroll for their second year.

While there are many reasons why kids leave college, alcohol can be one of them.
About a quarter of college students end up with problems in school due to drinking including missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers and receiving lower grades overall. Experts urge parents to be especially vigilant to your freshman's experiences during the first six weeks of the fall semester. All of that new-found free time and easy access to alcohol sometimes leads to excessive drinking. Drinking too much interferes with adapting to campus life in all kinds of ways.

Teach, don't preach

You may not be able to moderate your child's drinking in any direct way but you can help him to understand the possible consequences of irresponsible drinking. Put preaching aside and start teaching. Make sure he or she knows how alcohol can lead to date rape and violence. Teach him and especially her about BAC (blood alcohol content) and how it relates to their size. Make certain he knows the law and penalties for:
underage drinking
public drunkenness
using a fake id
driving under the influence

For more info:

A comprehensive website on college drinking, with statistics, research, college policies, education and awareness programs, a BAC calculator and more: www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov

Article obtained from: http://www.examiner.com/x-16039-DC-Parenting-College-Students-Examiner~y2009m7d20-College-drinking-binge-drinking-student-use-and-abuse

Goodhue CHI Council Picnic

The Goodhue Chemical Health Initiative Council sponsored a Picnic on Monday July 13, 2009. Over 100 people attended for free food, door prizes, volleyball, and bean bag toss. Howie was also there to join in on the fun!

Higher Alcohol Intake Associated with More Hospitalizations

A study of 6,000 men ages 35 to 64 found that the more alcohol the men drank, the more time they spent in the hospital, Forbes reported July 1.
The Scottish study, which began in the early 1970s, divided the men into six groups: no alcohol use; 1 to 7 units consumed per week; 8 to 14 units a week; 15 to 21 units a week; 22 to 34 units a week; and 35 or more units a week or more. The researchers defined a unit of alcohol as a half-pint of beer or a 4-ounce glass of wine.
The researchers found that men who drank more than 22 units of alcohol a week had a 20-percent higher hospital-admission rate than non-drinkers, while the heaviest drinkers stayed 58 percent longer in the hospital than non-drinkers. Even relatively low levels of alcohol consumption were associated with longer hospitals stays, with the length of stay increasing as consumption did, the researchers found.
The study also found that the men who drank 15 units of alcohol a week had increased numbers of hospital admissions for stroke, and that these admissions also increased the more the men drank.
The researchers found that the men who drank 22 or more units a week had more hospital admissions for respiratory illness, but they also had the lowest admission rates for coronary heart disease, while the non-drinkers had the highest rates of admission for coronary heart disease.
Men who drank 22 or more units per week had more admissions for mental-health problems, researchers found, but non-drinkers had higher rates of admissions for mental-health problems than those who drank 1 to 14 units of alcohol a week.
Article Summary obtained from: http://jech.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/jech.2008.079764v1