It’s four in the morning and you and your roommate just got back to your dorm room from a killer party in the townhouses. Although she could barely walk without your help, you thought she was fine, until… she pukes all over you. Why was your roommate puking? Most likely, she was binge drinking that night. The definition of binge drinking, according to the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, is the consumption of five or more drinks in a row on at least one occasion. “A good portion of students that I meet with through my work meet or exceed the definition of a binge drinker,” said Jeanne DiMuzio, director of wellness and prevention. Many students and administrators agree with DiMuzio, ans say that binge drinking is a common thing at Fairfield University. “I live in Dolan and my window faces out on campus, and just about every weekend night I can see the ambulance lights flashing because they have to pick up a student who was drinking too much,” said Maura Rafuse, ’06. “Binge drinking definitely goes on at Fairfield,” said Mike Surprenant, ’04. “My roommate had to go to the health center once for drinking too much. They made him stay over night.” Mike Lauzon, Assistant Director of the Security Department at Fairfield University, has dealt with many cases this year of students who have been indulging in too much alcohol. “There have been 32 public intoxications since September 1, where the students were sent to the Health Center,” said Lauzon. “There have been 7 cases where students were sent to the hospital, and 5 DWI’s given to students who were stopped on campus. Three of them were minors and two of them were of legal drinking age.” Lauzon explains that they use three basic tests to see if the students had too much to drink: eye gaze nystagmus, one leg stand, and the walk and turn test. If they fail these, the next step is the breathalyzer test. “If they can’t walk or talk, or we can’t wake them up, then we send them to the Bridgeport hospital,” said Lauzon. Binge drinking does not just occur on Fairfield’s campus. According to Monica Sutcliffe from The Daily Campus, the University of Connecticut students consume more alcohol than the national average of students. A recent alcohol and drug study was conducted by the Core Institute of Southern Illinois University, which showed that 20% more students reported binge drinking at UConn than students nationally. “In our society at large, binge drinking is not the common pattern after the age of 25,” said DiMuzio, “but from ages 13-24 drinkers will binge during these curiosity years.” The University of Alabama, as well as UConn, reported to have a higher binge drinking rate than the national average, according to Charlie Gasner of The Crimson White. Fifty percent of the Alabama students were found to be binge drinkers, compared to 33% nationwide. According to “Booze News: Updating Advocates on Alcohol Prevention Policies,” published by the Alcohol Policies Project of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, binge drinkers cited the following as important reasons for drinking: drinking to get drunk, status associated with drinking, culture of alcohol consumption on campus, peer pressure, and academic stress. At Fairfield University, many students share these thoughts. Katie Cronin, ’03 believes people binge drink to relieve the stress of academics. “I think people drink to forget about the stress and pressure of school,” said Cronin. “Of course it’s not the best way to cope, but if 5 beers in a night is the definition of binge drinking, every college student has a problem…and I don’t think that’s true.” “For some people, binge drinking is for fun, just shenanigans, while for others it is a problem solver,” said James Carmody, ’03. According to DiMuzio, slurred speech, trouble hearing or seeing, unstable gait, and a strong smell on alcohol on the breath can all be signs that someone has had too much to drink. “Don’t wait until someone passes out or appears to be in a blackout, they are too far along and could be in serious jeopardy,” said DiMuzio. “If in doubt, call 4090 and get them to the health center. Judicial is a minor responsibility to accept in comparison to losing a Fairfield friend.”
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