You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it. ~Robin Williams
Alcohol-related deaths, binge-drinking and drunk driving have all been on the rise on college campuses over the past ten years. The number of drinking-related accidental deaths among 18- to 24-year-old college students rose from 1,440 per 100,000 in 1998 to 1,825 per 100,000 in 2005, according to researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
During the same period, the proportion of students who reported recent binge-drinking rose from 42 percent to 45 percent, and the proportion who admitted to drinking and driving in the past year increased from 26 to 29 percent.
“The fact that we’re not making progress is very concerning,” said lead researcher Dr. Ralph Hingson, director of the NIAAA’s division of epidemiology and prevention research.
“The irony is that during this same time period, our knowledge of what works as far as intervention in this age group has increased. The knowledge isn’t yet being put into place.”
The success of projects funded by the NIAAA’S Rapid Response to College Drinking Problems Initiative – which in 2004 and 2005, selected 15 universities with serious alcohol problems to work with the agency and other experts in developing prevention programs. Schools tested a number of programs, ranging from the individual level like counseling to community efforts that involved law enforcement and residents of neighborhoods surrounding college campuses.