Williams College addresses binge drinking problems on campus

Print Story | Email Story
    The hospitalization of a prospective Williams College student for alcohol poisoning earlier this month has both resulted in the disciplining of five first-year students and the focusing of attention on the nationally-compelling issue of college students' binge drinking.     The prospective student was found unconscious in his own vomit Monday, April 10 by three Williams College security officers. According to a story in last week's The Williams Record, when the officers arrived they found several students trying unsuccessfully to wake the prospective student, who remained unresponsive.     Paramedics were summoned, and the prospective student was rushed by ambulance to North Adams Regional Hospital.     After treatment, the prospective student fully recovered, according to the Record story.     Neither Security Director Jean Thorndike, who was quoted in the Record story, nor Health Services Director Ruth Harrison, would speak about the incident, referring questions to college Director of Public Affairs James G. Kolesar.     Speaking yesterday, Kolesar said that "five first-year students have had disciplinary action taken against them," although he declined to characterize the form that action took.     "Care for the student is the first consideration," Kolesar stressed, adding in acknowledgement that colleges also must confront the issue of liability if a student or prospective student is harmed as a result of alcohol abuse.     Binge drinking among college students is widespread and, according to a release last month from the Harvard School of Public Health, the percentage of frequent binge drinkers among college students has gone up.     This is one of the findings of the College Alcohol Survey's 1999 survey, whose results are published in the March issue of the Journal of American College Health.     The Harvard School of Public Health's College Alcohol Survey (CAS) is the foremost survey and analysis of college students' drinking behavior. The CAS defines binge drinkers as men who have had five or more drinks in a row at least once in the two-week period prior to being surveyed. For women, binge drinking entails four or more drinks. The initial CAS took place in 1993, followed by repeated surveys in 1997 and 1999.     Binge drinking, in 1999 as in the previous surveys, is engaged in by four out of 10 students.     But in the release, Henry Wechsler, director of college alcohol studies at Harvard School of Public Health, "What is particularly disturbing is that we have seen an increase in the percentage of frequent binge drinkers to 23 percent."     Frequent binge drinkers are those who binge at least once per week. Frequent binge drinkers are nine times more likely to miss a class than are non-binge drinkers, and five times more likely to have unplanned sex or fail to use contraception.     Secondhand effects of binge drinking - effects on the entire college community - include a higher likelihood of arguments or physical fights, experiencing unwanted sexual advances, and having study or sleep interrupted.     And binge drinking has been associated with student deaths at, among other colleges, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, law enforcement officials recalled.     Yesterday, Kolesar said drinking to excess has been "a college phenomenon as long as anyone can remember, but more attention is being paid to it."     At Williams, "In the past couple of years we have instituted a more explicit range of sanctions," he said.     If a student is found breaking college policy or state laws, these results can include being brought in to talk to security, and meeting with deans.     And education about alcohol includes increasing student awareness about the ways students are responsible for each other's behavior, he said.     An editorial in the April 18 Record argued for lowering the drinking age as a means to increase education of students about alcohol.     And yesterday Kolesar said "we'd probably do a better job of educating students if the drinking age were lowered."     That is because legally, no one under age 21 is supposed to be coming in contact with alcohol.     The 21-year-old drinking age, said Kolesar, "complicates the educational component."     And, he added, "some colleges have found that pushing drinking off campus is not the answer, because that brings driving into the picture."     "I feel we are making progress [regarding student education about alcohol]," said Kolesar.     Asked if students were informed that getting prospective students drunk, or allowing them to get drunk while under the students' umbrella of hospitality was not the done thing, Kolesar replied, "they certainly get told explicitly now."     At the college's second overnight for prospective students, April 16-17, students and prospective students were told that they would be held to the code of the college, and that failure to do so could lead to the rescinding of their admission.     Chief of Police Arthur A. Parker Jr. said alcohol abuse "clearly is an area of concern that both the college administration, its security department, and our department clearly share."     "Clearly Cops in Shops [at liquor stores] is one method we're going to employ to try to educate and enforce the law, not just for students at Williams but anybody underage.     Parker said when he addressed the house presidents at Williams on Monday "the question came up about lowering the drinking age."     Recalling that the drinking age was lowered from 21 to 18 in 1973, [when he himself turned 18] Parker said it was raised again some six years later and that "part of the reason was because people my age had buried too many friends, and that's an education that I wouldn't want anybody else to have to learn."
Share
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

North Adams Warns Residents of Lead Pipe Survey Scam

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City of North Adams is warning residents about scammers exploiting a city-run lead pipe survey project.

As mentioned in a letter sent to city residents, the city is undergoing a lead pipe survey. Since then, some residents have been contacted by scammers claiming to be part of the survey and looking for financial information.

Officials emphasized that the survey is free, and the city is not making phone calls to residents at this time. 

Residents are urged not to share financial details over the phone. Anyone receiving such calls should report the incident immediately to the North Adams Police Department at 413-664-4944, extension 1.

 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories

A & E
image description

Weekend Outlook: Storytimes, Tribute Bands and Nightwood

A & E
Schools
image description

Greylock School Geothermal Funding Raises Concerns

Schools
Community News
image description

Harvest Festivals and Craft Fairs 2024

Community News
Community News
image description

North Adams Library Trustees Leery of Tapping Cariddi Money for...

Community News
Community News
image description

Passenger Rail Advocates Rally for Northern Tier Proposal

Community News
Sports
image description

Pacheco Wins Individual Crown at State Meet

Sports
Latest Stories
Previous Next

What's Trending?