A recent Harvard University study reported the levels of binge drinking on college campuses to be highest, some 33 percent higher, in the Midwest, Northeast and North Central states.

Henry Wechsler, the principal investigator in the study, could not explain the higher level of binge drinking in the Midwest.

“People speculate that it may be the climate” of the Midwest, Wechsler said, suggesting that colder temperatures keep people inside with fewer entertainment options.

Chuck Cychosz, program coordinator in Iowa State’s Vice President for Student Affairs Office, suggested the “campus culture” as a reason for higher levels of binge drinking.

“If you look at campus cultures, there are some campus traditions that follow more around the ethnic tradition of alcohol,” Cychosz said.

The Harvard School of Public Health recently released results of the nationwide survey called, “Binge Drinking on American College Campuses: A New Look at an Old Problem.” The study indicated that 44 percent of college students are binge drinkers.

The study defined binge drinking as “five or more drinks in a row, one or more times during a two-week period for men, and four or more drinks in a row, one or more times during the same period for women.”

The survey was aimed at investigating the extent of the binge drinking problem among college students, who is affected by binge drinking and what can be done about the problem.

While the University of Iowa was included in the study, ISU was not. However, “binge drinking is an issue here,” Cychosz said.

But, Cychosz said, the definition of binge drinking used by the Harvard study does not consider the duration of drinking by students. “Our research indicated the average bout of drinking lasts four to six hours,” he said.

Taking duration into account, four or five drinks over several hours is not going to lead to dangerous levels of blood-alcohol content or visible stumbling and slurring, he said.

Cychosz said the Harvard study was not “wrong, but we must be very careful “when reviewing the results. The findings confirm that alcohol is a problem for students, but if you look at the results carefully, the average student is pretty healthy. The average student is not engaging in those behaviors.”

Jeanne Burkhart, a psychologist at the ISU Student Health Center, said, “there definitely tends to be binge drinking at ISU.”

Burkhart said most students mainly drink on the weekends, but much of that drinking is binge drinking.

Second-hand binging

These indirect effects of binge drinking are creating serious problems for students who do not drink, the study said. The second-hand effects include physical assault, sexual harassment and impaired sleep and study time.

Tysen Landmesser, an ISU senior in computer engineering, said though he feels the Harvard study’s definition of binge drinkers is unfair because, “anyone who uses alcohol at all is going to drink about that much [five drinks],” he agreed that there are second-hand effects.

“I agree that it occurs and it’s annoying when your roommate comes home loaded,” Landmesser said.

“A person who drinks too much and is noisy and disruptive can be waking up 30-40 people, damaging property that 30-40 people will have to pay for,” Cychosz added. “The average student is getting fed up with it.”

Many students who fall victim to the second-hand effect of binge drinking sit annoyed and angry in silence, Cychosz said. He urges students to not accept this behavior and speak up.

“Students can have a powerful influence just by speaking up The university is trying to support those students who are speaking out.”

A 1995 ISU survey that polled 275 undergraduate students during classes, asked students whether someone else’s alcohol use had affected them in the last 30 days. Twenty-three percent of the students responding said they have experienced a disruption in studying. The same percentage said they had their sleep disturbed and 19 percent had been insulted.

Cychosz said the results must be taken seriously because, “If there were something else disrupting students we would be pretty upset … Often we take alcohol for granted.”

Greeks among worst

Many fraternities and sororities on college campuses are “functional saloons,” according to the Harvard study. Eighty-six percent of men and 80 percent of women who live in fraternities and sororities are binge drinkers, the survey indicates.

Jennifer Plagman, a senior in journalism and the risk management coordinator for ISU’s Panhellenic Council, said there is a binge drinking problem among fraternities and sororities here.

Plagman attributed binge drinking in sororities to the fact that most sororities are “dry” and members do not have as many opportunities to drink. When greeks do get the chance to drink, many binge, she said.

Plagman said the greek system’s drinking image is often targeted.

Sororities and fraternities “separate themselves and when they separate themselves, they are put at a higher standard,” she said.

The greek system has taken steps to help curb the problem of alcohol through specialized groups that target the problem through education.

Through education, the greek system lets its members know “some people don’t drink and some people do,” Plagman said.

Members of greek houses are at a particular risk, Cychosz said.

“We have asked greeks to review all alcohol policies, enforcement of rules in particular.”

The Harvard study reported that current college administrators only work to protect binge drinkers from themselves rather than concentrating on the effects of their actions. While there is an overall decline in drinking in the American society, the study showed no decline among college students.

Finding Solutions

There are several student programs available at ISU for students struggling with alcohol problems or who are affected by others drinking.

The Student Health Center offers individual and group counseling. The university has also promoted peer education, outreach and awareness.

“The message is common sense,” Cychosz said. Some students are a part of the solution and some aren’t, he said.

The issue may be polarizing.

“The people who drink a lot haven’t changed much, but at the same time, a lot of people are saying it’s just not worth it and that group is growing,” Cychosz said. “We used to have a lot more people in the middle.”

The study consisted of a questionnaire sent out to 140 accredited four-year colleges in the spring of 1993. Two-thirds were public and one-third was private. Four percent were women-only colleges and four percent were historically black institutions.

The twenty-page survey was sent to 17,500 students. About 69 percent responded.