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By Sean Strader
August 19, 2005
It runs like clockwork every year at the University of Dayton: The first-year students move in, their parents leave and the parties start.
Scott Markland, coordinator of alcohol prevention at UD, says he expects the parties and alcohol will be plentiful as ever before classes start Monday, but hopes the first-year students will approach them differently, having taken a new online alcohol information course before setting foot on campus.
While drinking is illegal for students under 21, many first-year students drink socially as a way to express their newly found freedom and fit into a new college environment, Markland said. The problem is that they often go overboard not knowing enough about drinking responsibly.
"We're trying to impact the belief that entering college means drinking heavily," Markland said.
John Gunther, a junior at UD, said first-year students typically drink more heavily than older students on the weekends.
"It's safe to say when I was a freshman, I drank more than I do now," Gunther said. "There's new surroundings, trying to fit in, trying to soak up the typical college life."
Freshmen log into AlcoholEdu as part of their Virtual Orientation and take between two and three hours to complete the interactive program about drinking safely.
"It's unique because it's not just lobbing information at them," Markland said. "It holds their attention much better than a meeting or video."
Based on individual responses, the program chooses information relevant for that student. For instance, the program will focus on different issues and information for nondrinkers; light drinkers and heavy drinkers, and will be different for men and women.
UD's efforts extend to off-campus alcohol purveyors. University officials say they're working to develop an agreement with seven taverns near campus to address problems associated with alcohol abuse. UD officials have scheduled a news conference Wednesday to announce the Cooperating Tavern Agreement.
Miami University was a pilot school for AlcoholEdu last year, and the survey results from two months into school were promising, said Karen Murray, Miami's director of health education.
Although the number of freshmen who chose to drink only marginally dropped from previous years, the habits of those who chose to drink changed after taking the course, Murray said.
The percentage who said they thought about blood alcohol content while drinking went from 49 percent before taking AlcoholEdu to 70 percent two months later, and the percentages similarly improved for practicing certain safety measures like pacing their drinks and not drinking on an empty stomach.
Miami sophomore Nick Lavelle took AlcoholEdu before coming to campus last year and said he was surprised by many of the statistics the program gave him.
"I think the people who are going to drink too much know they will already, but it might make them think about doing things safer," Lavelle said.
Last year, all freshmen at Miami, Ohio University and Denison University took AlcoholEdu. This year seven Ohio schools, including UD, will require it for all first-years.
Dr. Norman Schneiderman, physician in the emergency room at Miami Valley Hospital, said he sees several UD students a month for alcohol poisoning or injuries sustained while drunk.
"The typical scenario usually involves a freshman, usually toward the beginning of the semester, usually away from home for the first time," Schneiderman said.
UD students say drinking is only one aspect to social life at college.
"It's not as bad as everyone thinks it is," Gunther said. "When I go out with my friends, we may drink a lot but we keep an eye on each other and stay safe."
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