One hundred and fifty-nine thousand of today’s first year college students will drop out of school next year for alcohol and drug-related reasons, and 300,000 of today’s college students will eventually die of alcohol-related causes, according to the Core Institute, which gathers statistics about college students’ drinking patterns.

These statistics, which can be found in a pamphlet distributed by the health center entitled “The College Experience,” should strike a nerve with Fairfield University students.

Twenty-three Fairfield University students were sent to the health center or hospitalized for excessive consumption of alcohol during the first two weeks of the academic year. Fifteen of these 23 students were freshmen.

Public safety officers, the office of wellness and prevention, the dean of students, and health center representatives all refused to provide the names or residence halls of the students involved in these incidents for privacy and legal purposes.

During the 2004-2005 school year, 75 percent of alcohol-related incidents at Fairfield University involved freshmen.

This frightening trend can be seen around the nation as college students tend to over-consume alcohol during the red zone, a dangerous time period between Sept. 1 and Oct. 15 each year. Gary Nelson, director of the health center, attributes this dangerous trend to students readjusting to the school year or new students adjusting to college life.

Fourteen hundred alcohol related deaths each year are due to alcohol on college campuses, according to Nelson.

Alcohol-related deaths are sometimes caused by alcohol poisoning, when over-consumption results in a reduced heart rate, drop in pulse or cessation of respiration.

But even more alcohol-related deaths are caused by aspiration, when one’s body treats the alcohol as a poison and vomits it up. The vomit blocks the windpipe so that it enters the lungs, which can cause death. Aspiration can also cause enough of an obstruction to cause brain damage, according to Nelson.

Although it is not widely known around campus, there is a way for students to take action and help their fellow students.

The Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC), which is composed mainly of students, has created the “2241 Your Ride to Safety” program in April 2005. The program enables intoxicated students to call for a safe ride to the health center, at extension 2241, without the fear of judicial action or having to walk far.

Students can also call the health center whenever they feel that someone has had too much to drink. The student tells the health center representative his residence hall, and a health center representative calls a public safety official who meets the student in their residence hall lobby. The public safety officer drives the student to the health center for assessment or does an initial assessment at the scene in a dire situation.

Nelson stresses the importance of bringing your friend to the health center if you are concerned he or she has drunk too much. He says that it is never safe to simply put your friend to bed, because alcohol levels can continue to rise after you are done drinking for the evening.

By utilizing “2241 Your Ride to Safety,” you could save a friend’s life.

“If there is anything we [the student health center and SHAC] can do to help save a life or prevent someone from brain damage, than we are doing a good thing,” he asid.

Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Mark Reed feels that the university does a great deal to help students know their limits by offering programs during orientation and other events during the first week of the semester. But students still must take an active role in ceasing this disturbing trend.

“Letting, or even worse, encouraging, your friend or another student consume alcohol to the point of needing support is not being a good friend at all, and it is unacceptable,” said Reed.

Educational information is offered by the Wellness Center, Counseling Services and Student Health Center via the Wellness Wall, pamphlets, posters, floor programs and through drug and alcohol classes all year long, according to Jeanne DiMuzio, director of Wellness and Prevention.

DiMuzio stresses that students must pay attention to “what causes alcohol poisoning in their own bodies and listen to those warning signs.”

DiMuzio says a variety of factors raises the risk for an alcohol-related incident. Students should never drink alcohol on an empty stomach because the blood-alcohol level will rise extremely quickly without food to absorb it.

She also warns about the dangers of drinking when exhausted, stressed out, sick or on any sort of medication. Alcohol dehydrates the body, and the body is already dehydrated under these conditions.

DiMuzio also tells women to be careful about drinking before or during their menstrual cycles, because their cycle heightens the risk of alcohol poisoning. She says that before and during the menstrual cycle, water and enzymes, which are needed to absorb the alcohol and aid in metabolism, are less available.

Reed also emphasizes the need to “continue to talk with students about these issues and also encourage students to challenge one another and look out for one another.”

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