Purdue officials work to combat alcohol abuse

The daylong workshop in the Purdue Memorial Union's West Faculty Lounge is sponsored by Purdue Student Wellness Office and funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

"In many ways Purdue is ahead of other universities when it comes to addressing alcohol and drug issues," said Tammy Loew, health advocacy coordinator at Purdue's Student Wellness Office. "Some of our initiatives already in place include a voluntary orientation program for first-time students, a campaign to inform both students and parents, and the 30 Grand Alternative non-alcoholic events in the spring semester. The Campus Community Bar Retail Coalition is entering its fifth year and has helped reduce the number of students using fake IDs."

Along with the workshop, the $300,000 Department of Education grant will fund components of a program called Positive Educational Experiences for Purdue Students (PEEPS) during the next two years.

The components include:

• Collaborating with faculty, teaching assistants and academic advisers to bring information into the classroom.

• Designing a media campaign about the danger of high-risk drinking.

• Engaging parents about alcohol issues.

• Increasing alcohol-free activities and related advertising throughout campus and working with University Residences and its intervention program for sanctioned students.

During the workshop, Purdue officials will be utilizing results from an anonymous survey questioning students' experiences and attitudes surrounding alcohol, drugs and tobacco.

"This survey has given us some important data about students and their experiences with alcohol, tobacco and drugs," Lowe said. "We will be able to look at some of the programs already in place and work to incorporate new ones to combat high-risk behaviors."

The survey, commissioned by the Indiana Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking, was funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and was conducted by the Core Institute at Southern Illinois University. More than 7,600 college students were surveyed from 14 Indiana campuses, including 361 from Purdue. Fifty percent of the responders from Purdue were freshmen.

One key finding was that 80 percent of Purdue students surveyed had consumed alcohol during the past year, compared to 84.1 percent of total Indiana students. Of the Purdue students surveyed, 63.1 percent of underage students consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, 1.8 percentage points lower than the state average.

During the two weeks prior to the survey, 48.3 percent of Purdue students reported binge drinking, defined as consuming five or more drinks in one sitting. Of all the Indiana students surveyed, 44.5 percent said they had engaged in binge drinking. The national average is 47 percent.

"Each year Purdue President Martin C. Jischke and the Purdue Student Government president send out birthday cards to students on their 21st birthday encouraging them to celebrate responsibly," Loew said. "Last year 4,500 cards were sent out, and we found that 66 percent of students had fewer than five drinks on their birthday. Of those students, 6 percent said they decided to drink less because of the card."

According to the survey, 25.4 percent of Purdue students have used marijuana in the past year, compared to 23.5 percent of Indiana students. During the 30 days prior to the survey, 13.7 percent of Purdue students used marijuana, compared to 11.6 percent of Indiana students. Eleven percent of Purdue students reported to have used an illegal drug other than marijuana in the past year, compared to 9.4 percent of other Indiana students.

Loew said there also are several media campaigns during the year to address specific issues with regard to high-risk drinking, such as alcohol poisoning, minor consumption, and the impact of alcohol and drug use on students' future opportunities.

The survey also found that many students are already dealing with consequences of their alcohol and drug use. Thirty-five percent of Purdue students reported some form of public misconduct during the past year as a result of drinking or drug use, such as trouble with police or vandalism. Additionally, 28.3 percent reported they had experienced serious personal problems, such as being hurt or injured, at least once during the past year as a result of drinking or drug use.

Purdue's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides counseling for students who have violated alcohol policies, and the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities offers counseling and addresses judicial violations.

Other campus organizations and groups also have increased programs and activities that do not involve alcohol, such the Division of Recreational Sports, University Residences and the Purdue Student Union Board. More than 700 student organizations are available for students to join.

Today's workshop is full and registration is closed.

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Source: Tammy Loew, (765) 496-6780, tfloew@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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