2008 Woodie Awards
Drinking problems at ISU not as bad as perceived
Wellness Center working to dispel myths
Ryan Hunter
Issue date: 4/25/07 Section: News
"Research has shown that if you correct just the perception [of alcohol use] in this area, you see a reduction in the quantity used and a reduction in the frequency of use," explained Batacan.
According to the ISU Public Safety office, most alcohol and substance abuse offenses are committed by incoming freshman, members of Greek organizations and athletes. Batacan noted that all of these groups, especially incoming freshman, are especially susceptible to misperceptions of what is considered to be normal behavior.
Other factors that can increase the prevalence of substance abuse on college campuses include large amounts of unstructured free time and lax enforcement of existing policies.
Batacan said that ISU is already doing a good job of offering numerous substance-free activities on campus, as well as strictly enforcing underage drinking laws. The Wellness Center is currently working on improving the information available to administrators, students and parents, and is considering a few unorthodox information campaigns.
One example is the proposed "Four or less" campaign highlighting the fact that 76.9 percent of ISU students have four or less drinks when they do drink.
Another program Batacan is attempting to get adopted by ISU is the "e-Chug" survey, which stands for "electronic Check Up and Go." This online survey provides students with various statistics on how their drinking is affecting them based on their responses, including annual money spent, annual amount consumed in comparison to the national average, etc. This program has shown promising results nationwide and has already been adopted by Boise State University. It is also a required element of some universities' admission and registration process.
Overall, Batacan sees the health of the students at ISU as quite well, especially in comparison to national averages. He stated that the main issue of concern now for the Wellness Center would be bridging the detrimental gap between perception and reality in substance use by students.
For more information on substance abuse education, statistics, and prevention, call the ISU Wellness Center at 282-2117, or go to any of the following websites: Idaho College Health Coalition - http://www.boisestate.edu/healthservices/ichc/; Government college drinking prevention website - http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/; or http://www.goaskalice.com/Cat2.html.
According to the ISU Public Safety office, most alcohol and substance abuse offenses are committed by incoming freshman, members of Greek organizations and athletes. Batacan noted that all of these groups, especially incoming freshman, are especially susceptible to misperceptions of what is considered to be normal behavior.
Other factors that can increase the prevalence of substance abuse on college campuses include large amounts of unstructured free time and lax enforcement of existing policies.
Batacan said that ISU is already doing a good job of offering numerous substance-free activities on campus, as well as strictly enforcing underage drinking laws. The Wellness Center is currently working on improving the information available to administrators, students and parents, and is considering a few unorthodox information campaigns.
One example is the proposed "Four or less" campaign highlighting the fact that 76.9 percent of ISU students have four or less drinks when they do drink.
Another program Batacan is attempting to get adopted by ISU is the "e-Chug" survey, which stands for "electronic Check Up and Go." This online survey provides students with various statistics on how their drinking is affecting them based on their responses, including annual money spent, annual amount consumed in comparison to the national average, etc. This program has shown promising results nationwide and has already been adopted by Boise State University. It is also a required element of some universities' admission and registration process.
Overall, Batacan sees the health of the students at ISU as quite well, especially in comparison to national averages. He stated that the main issue of concern now for the Wellness Center would be bridging the detrimental gap between perception and reality in substance use by students.
For more information on substance abuse education, statistics, and prevention, call the ISU Wellness Center at 282-2117, or go to any of the following websites: Idaho College Health Coalition - http://www.boisestate.edu/healthservices/ichc/; Government college drinking prevention website - http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/; or http://www.goaskalice.com/Cat2.html.
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Alcohol Rehab Center
posted 10/24/08 @ 7:12 AM MST
This I good news! It really helps parents who have their children studying at ISU feel more comfortable with the idea that they can't control their kids. (Continued…)
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