In the two weeks since the alcohol poisoning death of a student at a nearby college, the University has continued its efforts to combat alcohol abuse on campus.
Rider University freshman Gary DeVercelly died on March 30 after binge drinking to the point of unconsciousness at the school's Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house. At Princeton, the death served as a stark reminder of the dangers of excessive drinking and an indication of the progress the University has made in deterring alcohol abuse.
University spokeswoman Cass Cliatt '96 said the University has taken significant steps to prevent a similar event from occurring on campus. "We continue to dedicate resources to developing strategies and initiatives," she said in an email. "We have long been aware that we were at risk of something like [DeVercelly's death] happening on our own campus if students don't take responsibility for their drinking."
"The recent events at Rider were tragic, and they demonstrate what the national data have shown us this for years — students are at risk," Cliatt added.
Chief Medical Officer Daniel Silverman said the University has been "fortunate" not to have an alcohol-related death in recent years. "But we've certainly seen a very small percentage of the students who have extremely high blood alcohol levels over the course of the year in Princeton," he added.
Silverman said that the campus drinking culture is typical but not necessarily healthy. "It depends on how you define 'problem,' " he said. "We are aware of the fact that there are a small percentage of students who, at times, engage in high-risk drinking. That doesn't really make us different than any other college or university in the country."
In a 2004 University Health Services (UHS) survey, seven percent of respondents characterized themselves as "heavy" drinkers. Seventy-three percent said they were "social" or "moderate" drinkers. Twenty percent of respondents said they abstained.
Among the schools in the Ivy Plus Group, which includes the Ivies, as well as MIT, Stanford, the University of Chicago and Duke, Princeton falls in the middle for the frequency of "heavy episodic drinking," defined as five or more drinks in one sitting.
Recent University initiatives have focused on the prevention of heavy episodic drinking, Cliatt said. She noted that the University has implemented, among other programs, the mandatory Alcohol.edu online course for incoming freshmen, the Alcohol Initiative, substance-free housing and increased collaboration with eating clubs.
This summer, parents of incoming freshmen will have the opportunity to enroll in Alcohol.edu along with their children, Cliatt said. Beginning in the fall, each residential college will have a Director of Student Life whose responsibilities include organizing alcohol-free social activities in the colleges.
But Silverman said it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of the University's alcohol education programs. "I'm not sure that the reported so-called binge drinking rates — or heavy episodic drinking rates — is the right metric to look at," he said. "When you look at the number of students who say that they had five or more drinks at one sitting in the last two to four weeks, it doesn't tell you what kinds of drinks or how many more than five drinks."
Silverman said that rates of heavy episodic drinking have been consistent among college students nationally for the last 15 years. "I'm not sure it's the best measure of the effectiveness of programs," he said.
Instead, Silverman said that the increased number of students visiting UHS with high blood alcohol levels are "a sign that our educational and outreach programs are working — that students do understand that heavy episodic drinking and high blood alcohol levels can represent a true medical emergency."
Students are not disciplined for bringing themselves in or bringing their friends to UHS for alcohol-related issues.
He also pointed to the recent Bicker pickups as another example "that some of our efforts are making a difference." The number of highly intoxicated students from Bicker was "about half of what we saw in previous years," he said.
Interclub Council and Charter Club president Will Scharf '08 said in an email that "eating club presidents understand that what goes on in our clubs is our responsibility."
"We have taken many steps in recent years to try to prevent something like [the Rider tragedy] from happening at Princeton," he added.
"All eating clubs have nonalcoholic beverages available when open," Scharf explained, "and have officers on duty charged with maintaining a safe and healthy environment at parties, hire professional security, and take myriad other steps aimed at preventing dangerous situations from arising on our watch."
Silverman also noted that heavy alcohol consumption is not limited to eating clubs and Greek organizations.
"Obviously the fraternities, sororities and eating clubs provide social venues at times in which drinking occurs," he said, "but we also know that drinking occurs outside of those venues and events. We now have data that a majority of drinking goes on in the residential halls, especially upperclass dorms."
Despite the apparent progress, Cliatt emphasized the difficult task of alcohol education. "What Princeton and other colleges across the country are trying to do is change a peer adolescent social culture that has been shown to be highly resistant to change. We often feel like we're paddling upstream, and we really need students to be in that boat with us."
"[DeVercelly's death] is a chilling reminder of why we continue to build on all that we do," Cliatt said.
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