This is part two of a three-part series on alcohol.
Despite Boston University’s efforts to curb underage and binge drinking, BU Police Department captain Robert Malloy said alcohol education does not seem to be changing students’ behavior.
“We try to educate about the dangers of alcohol and enforce these rules, but every year we see a percentage increase in the number of alcohol transports,” Malloy said. “We try to reach out and explain to students, but I guess it’s not hitting home.”
Colleges continue to try to inform students of the dangerous consequences of underage and binge drinking in their alcohol education campaigns, but that has not stopped students from consuming alcoholic beverages, according to an Aug. 29 report in The Chicago-Sun Times.
Researchers found that the negative effects of alcohol did not prevent students from drinking in excess and that many students intend to get drunk regardless of the consequences.
Students reportedly engage in excessive alcohol consumption, the Times reported, because it lowers their inhibitions and causes them to feel emotionally and sexually liberated.
Malloy said that the increased patrols in the Gardner-Ashford-Pratt area in Allston would hopefully make a difference in the number of students drinking excessively.
“There’s been a decrease in the number of bodies we’ve seen out, but the hospital transports are still increasing,” he said. “It’s still too early to tell if what we’re doing will make a big impact.”
Despite the number of underage people that drink, BU students said alcohol education has a value.
“I don’t drink, but I think educating students about alcohol might change how much they drink. They would also know how to deal with friends who get too drunk,” said a Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences freshman who asked to remain anonymous.
“People are going to drink anyway, but at least they can be safe about it.”
College of Arts and Sciences freshman Zach Bogart said that while he considers alcohol education important, he thinks it is difficult to sway people’s opinions on something they enjoy so much.
“Alcohol education is necessary to some extent because it might change some people’s drinking, but ultimately people are going to do what they want,” Bogart said.
“I feel like people don’t take alcohol education that seriously here,” said an anonymous College of Arts and Sciences freshman. “People at freshman orientation joked about the alcohol education, but hopefully came away with knowledge about how to care for really drunk people.”
“There’s definitely still a point to alcohol education,” said a SAR junior who asked to remain anonymous. “If it’s not working, the university should try other types of education, but giving up is never a good option.”
