A comment on Protecting Your College-Student from Alcohol

Janet Evans — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:27:06 GMT

Mark,
Very nicely said.
Janet

A comment on Protecting Your College-Student from Alcohol

Ron Bogle — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:58:18 GMT

Mark Willingham is right on the numbers is urging parents to assume more responsibility in preparing for and protecting their student from their collegiate experience. While we have made progress in reducing destructive drinking among 18 to 20 year-old non-students, we continue in the opposite direction among collegians. Abusive drinking in this age range is uniquely a problem of university culture. Binge drinking continues to increase there, along with the number of alcohol-related deaths. This does not begin to consider the potential permanent personal health damage (including damage to the brain, heart, liver, lungs, circulatory system, pancreas, genetic makeup, etc, etc) related to underage drinking, or the known high-risk behaviors for which alcohol is a catalyst. This includes violence, property damage, suicide, homicide, high-risk sexual activity, sexual assaults against woment - the list is endless.
Like tobacco products before it, we now know the health dangers associated with youthful consumption of alcohol - for teens, there is no such thing as a safe or healthy drink. We must recognize alcohol for what it really is - alcohol is an addictive drug responsible for killing more teens than all other drugs combined. Alcohol is the nation's leading drug problem.
A recent Columbia University study found that for every $1 collected in federal alcohol tax, we spend $9 cleaning up the mess related to alcohol and drug abuse. No legal product, in my opinion, imposes a greater financial or societal cost or burden than alcohol. The World Health Organization conservatively estimates that alcohol abuse costs our nation in excess of $200 billion annually. Underage drinking alone is estimated to cost our nation in excess of $60 billion annually in healthcare and other costs. Think about the costs of healthcare, broken families, criminal justice, social welfare, lost workplace productivity, domestic violence, sexual assaults, child abuse - the list of societal ills associated with alcohol misuse is endless.
The clock is ticking for university administrators on issues related to drinking among their students. It is only a matter of time before administrators confront liability issues related to their campus and the drinking environment they have created, supported or enabled. With recent studies finding that college freshmen now spend more time drinking than studying, it's time for a major course correction on the nation's campuses.
It's often argued that alumni are an impediment to progress, advocating for alcohol, for instance, during sporting events or opposing disciplinary action against their student drinking, particularly if it involves their own child. But other parents have a responsibility to offer their own voice and opinions to university administrations to oppose the alcohol fueled environment that exists on many campuses. As the old saying goes, "When the voices of the good people are silent, the only voices heard...."
At the end of the day, as parents we send our children to a particular college or university to obtain an education to prepare them for the future, not to prepare them as alcohol abusers to support the financial interests of the alcohol industry.
Many of our children have become the victims of our parental neglect of underage drinking. Now, for the first time in our history, we find that the majority of the nation's alcoholics are young people, age 26 or less. Many are teens.
At some point, instead of continuing to protect the financial interests of the alcohol industry, either directly or indirectly, we must get serious about protecting the interests of our children from the destructive effects of alcohol. Life is not about drinking alcohol, and accepting that teens do not understand the risks or consequences, it's time for adults to start acting like adults about this issue. Let college administrators hear your voice - let them know that you expect their institution to provide a safe environment and that you demand action to prevent abusive drinking among their students.

A comment on Dram Shop Laws - Effective Elements for Reponsible Alcohol Retailing

Mike Bryant — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:40:56 GMT

What a great post covering the issue completely. Minnesota saw a change in out joint and several law that lessened the bars responsibility on these types of cases. This was bad for the consumer. Since then Insurance rates have gone up for bars and despite less road deaths we are seeing increases in the percentages that include alcohol. Hopefully the legislature will look at those items.

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A comment on Protecting Your College-Student from Alcohol

A comment on Protecting Your College-Student from Alcohol

A comment on Dram Shop Laws - Effective Elements for Reponsible Alcohol Retailing