Environmental factors urge binge drinking
Matthew Null
Issue date: 11/4/04 Section: Alcohol InDepth
Students and studies agree that local drink specials and school environment might be large factors in college binge drinking.
In 2003, the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a study examining the alcohol environment surrounding college campuses and assessed the impact the environment had on students. The study, which surveyed more than 10,000 students on 118 college campuses, concluded that alcohol promotions, sale prices and marketing had a direct effect on the alcohol consumption of college students.
Senior Chelsea Brophy, bartender at The Wooden Nickel, said this statistic is true in Kirksville.
"You're going to find more kids out on the five dollars all-you-can-drink night here, on Wednesdays," Brophy said. "Every bar has its night of the week, where you'll find more students."
Senior Keith Christensen said Thursday nights at the Dukum Inn is popular with college students watching their budgets.
"I know that 'Drinkin' with Lincoln' is a pretty big deal," Christensen said. "A lot of people I know will go out on Thursday nights for that. Five dollars all-you-can-drink is a good deal."
The study also said that an average of two out of five college students admit they partake in binge drinking, which is defined as more than five alcoholic drinks in one sitting.
Gabriel Paynter, a recent graduate of Kent State University in Ohio, said he and his friends routinely participated in binge drinking.
"I drank probably five nights a week," Paynter said. "We kept drinking until we were really drunk. My freshman year, I wouldn't stop drinking until I puked."
Paynter said the cost of alcohol played a factor in drinking on his campus.
"There weren't many specials around, so we drank [Natural] Light," Paynter said. "It was cheap and got you wasted."
A 2002 study by the Southern Illinois University found that school location plays little role in the amount students drink. According to the study, college students located in rural areas and students in metropolitan areas maintain similar alcohol consumption. The study also concluded that students show similar drinking behavior at both private and public schools.
"Yes, I'd probably drink about the same if Truman were in a city," Christensen said. "There's more to do in a bigger city, granted, but I think that in the end, it would just be a change of venue."
The study does say, however, that the attitude of the college and the city plays a factor in the amount college students drink. The desire to abstain from drinking and resistance to peer pressure were more related to college environmental values than personal background issues.
Not all students would agree with this statistic.
"I mean, how far does the University extend into my personal life?" Christensen said. "I see it as a personal choice, and one that I make."
Cate Dobyns, a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said most students on her college campus drank heavily. The University of Wisconsin-Madison consistently has been named a top-three party school by The Princeton Review.
"I'd say 80 percent binge drink," Dobyns said. "When I was younger and had less going on, I drank Thursday through Sunday."
To cut down on student drinking, the University of Wisconsin-Madison helped the city of Madison pass an ordinance to outlaw weekend drink specials, Dobyns said.
"The administration became worried about alcohol and tried to crack down on it," Dobyns said. "The city banned bar specials to cut down on binge drinking, but it didn't have much of an effect on us ... People just began drinking during the week to hit the specials. Tuesday became the night to get drunk instead of Friday."
Brophy said neither Kirksville nor Truman has attempted to stop or influence drink specials at The Wooden Nickel.
"I've never even seen a police officer come into this building," Brophy said.
According to the "Most Dogs Don't" survey, Truman students drink much less than average college students. This year, the survey sampled 613 Truman students at random and asked them about their drinking behavior. According to the survey, more than half of the students do not binge drink, and more than 35 percent of the students do not routinely drink. Eighty percent of the students also are aware that the University is concerned about student drinking behaviors.
Despite all the studies and surveys, Christensen said he thinks that drinking at Truman is similar to drinking at most schools.
"I think that if people want to drink, they're going to drink no matter where they are," Christensen said. "I think that the ratio of drinkers to non-drinkers would be roughly the same."
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In 2003, the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a study examining the alcohol environment surrounding college campuses and assessed the impact the environment had on students. The study, which surveyed more than 10,000 students on 118 college campuses, concluded that alcohol promotions, sale prices and marketing had a direct effect on the alcohol consumption of college students.
Senior Chelsea Brophy, bartender at The Wooden Nickel, said this statistic is true in Kirksville.
"You're going to find more kids out on the five dollars all-you-can-drink night here, on Wednesdays," Brophy said. "Every bar has its night of the week, where you'll find more students."
Senior Keith Christensen said Thursday nights at the Dukum Inn is popular with college students watching their budgets.
"I know that 'Drinkin' with Lincoln' is a pretty big deal," Christensen said. "A lot of people I know will go out on Thursday nights for that. Five dollars all-you-can-drink is a good deal."
The study also said that an average of two out of five college students admit they partake in binge drinking, which is defined as more than five alcoholic drinks in one sitting.
Gabriel Paynter, a recent graduate of Kent State University in Ohio, said he and his friends routinely participated in binge drinking.
"I drank probably five nights a week," Paynter said. "We kept drinking until we were really drunk. My freshman year, I wouldn't stop drinking until I puked."
Paynter said the cost of alcohol played a factor in drinking on his campus.
"There weren't many specials around, so we drank [Natural] Light," Paynter said. "It was cheap and got you wasted."
A 2002 study by the Southern Illinois University found that school location plays little role in the amount students drink. According to the study, college students located in rural areas and students in metropolitan areas maintain similar alcohol consumption. The study also concluded that students show similar drinking behavior at both private and public schools.
"Yes, I'd probably drink about the same if Truman were in a city," Christensen said. "There's more to do in a bigger city, granted, but I think that in the end, it would just be a change of venue."
The study does say, however, that the attitude of the college and the city plays a factor in the amount college students drink. The desire to abstain from drinking and resistance to peer pressure were more related to college environmental values than personal background issues.
Not all students would agree with this statistic.
"I mean, how far does the University extend into my personal life?" Christensen said. "I see it as a personal choice, and one that I make."
Cate Dobyns, a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said most students on her college campus drank heavily. The University of Wisconsin-Madison consistently has been named a top-three party school by The Princeton Review.
"I'd say 80 percent binge drink," Dobyns said. "When I was younger and had less going on, I drank Thursday through Sunday."
To cut down on student drinking, the University of Wisconsin-Madison helped the city of Madison pass an ordinance to outlaw weekend drink specials, Dobyns said.
"The administration became worried about alcohol and tried to crack down on it," Dobyns said. "The city banned bar specials to cut down on binge drinking, but it didn't have much of an effect on us ... People just began drinking during the week to hit the specials. Tuesday became the night to get drunk instead of Friday."
Brophy said neither Kirksville nor Truman has attempted to stop or influence drink specials at The Wooden Nickel.
"I've never even seen a police officer come into this building," Brophy said.
According to the "Most Dogs Don't" survey, Truman students drink much less than average college students. This year, the survey sampled 613 Truman students at random and asked them about their drinking behavior. According to the survey, more than half of the students do not binge drink, and more than 35 percent of the students do not routinely drink. Eighty percent of the students also are aware that the University is concerned about student drinking behaviors.
Despite all the studies and surveys, Christensen said he thinks that drinking at Truman is similar to drinking at most schools.
"I think that if people want to drink, they're going to drink no matter where they are," Christensen said. "I think that the ratio of drinkers to non-drinkers would be roughly the same."