Crafting effective college alcohol policies that protect the health and life of students is harder than it might appear. That’s because what first appears to be an easy solution fails. I. Ineffective College Alcohol Policies Scare Students Some colleges use scare tactics. They stress the horrible things that could happen as a result of alcohol …
College men don’t find excessive drinking by women to be appealing. That’s contrary to what most college women falsely think. In short, intoxicated women aren’t attractive or appealing to college men. That’s the finding of research among 3,616 college students. Seven of ten women (71%) overestimated the amount of alcohol that the typical college man …
Dr. Robert Chapman explains below a widely unrecognized problem about binge drinking. And it’s one that has serious effects. There is great controversy among professionals about the term “binge drinking.” This term is widely used to address the issue of high-risk drinking by college students. However, it’s far from the “accepted term” of those who …
College are often using two popular but very conflicting approaches to reduce alcohol abuse. Thus, some have inconsistent college alcohol policies. One is an aggressive no-use, zero tolerance policy. It focuses on drinking or possession of alcohol. It stresses vigorous law enforcement and strong penalties. And it commonly attempts to “scare ’em straight.” It tries …
A reader sent the following opinion piece. It addresses the ignored civil rights issue of our time. The writer wishes to remain anonymous. As we students return to campus each fall, we are bombarded with politically correct rhetoric. It focuses on race, gender, and sexual orientation. Activists tell us that our country is racist, …
The Amethyst Initiative is a group of college and university presidents across the U.S. They promote public discussion about the unintended consequences of current alcohol policies. This includes the minimum legal drinking age of 21. Amethyst Initiative presidents invite new ideas on how best to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol use. Dr. …
Our society uses many techniques in efforts to reduce underage alcohol abuse. (This includes alcohol abuse by those of legal age but still young.) A few are effective, but most are not. And there’s no silver bullet. Therefore, we must continue examining additional possibilities. Here are some creative ways to try to reduce underage alcohol …
Alcohol Amnesty Alcohol medical emergency amnesty policies at colleges and universities are to save lives. They give a higher priority to protecting students’ safety and lives than to enforcing alcohol rules. Hundreds of colleges and universities have medical alcohol emergency amnesty policies. Clemson University implemented such a policy after a major tragedy. The existence of an …
Alcohol Enforcement is Important Alcohol is part of the University experience. Frat parties, bar hopping and tailgating before football games are just as collegiate as classes and exams. Then there’s alcohol enforcement. Yet it caught most everyone by surprise when [University of] Virginia’s new Alcohol Beverage Control [ABC] officer stationed in Charlottesville started bringing down …
Alcohol and parenting is a controversial subject. What’s the best thing for parents to do? What can they legally do? The subject of alcohol and parenting is surrounded by conflicting beliefs and opinions. And also by a high degree of emotion. Fortunately, research provides useful answers. This can guide us as parents. I. Some Important …
