The University’s Wellness Education Department is seeing the results it wanted from its alcohol education programs, despite a national increase in binge drinking.Alcohol related deaths among college students rose from 1,440 in 1998 to 1,825 in 2005, while binge drinking increased from 42 percent to 45 percent, according to a June 15 news release by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. In addition, the number of students admitting to driving drunk is up from 26.5 percent to 29 percent. Binge drinking is defined by the NIAAA as having five or more drinks in one sitting. But despite a national increase in binge drinking, University statistics are heading in the opposite direction.According to a 2009 Alcohol and Drug survey by the CORE Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., 48.8 percent of LSU students reported binge drinking within two weeks of the survey, down from 49.7 percent in 2007. Also, 10.5 percent of LSU students said they did not consume alcohol last year, up from 9.6 percent in 2007.”Although it’s not a huge drop, we are seeing a drop, which is exciting for us,” said Kathy Saichuk, Wellness Education Department coordinator. “Even a 2 or 3 percent drop is important.”Saichuk said the University educates students on alcohol use through presentations and interactions with student organizations. Despite the apparent decrease in student drinking, she said the harmful consequences of binge drinking, such as lower grades, missing class and drunk driving, have increased.Doug Cain, State Police public affairs unit supervisor, said alcohol-related traffic accidents among college students has increased in recent years and are a serious concern for the state police.”We’ve begun to do presentations and are continuing our outreach,” he said. “Once we stop you on the side of the road, it’s too late to ask [us] questions.”Though they haven’t seen the desired results, Cain said the department will continue to educate students and build relationships.Four years ago, the University implemented the “My Student Body” online education program to educate incoming freshmen about alcohol use and its consequences.”We’re hoping My Student Body has been a factor in decreasing binge drinking,” Saichuk said.Saichuk said the University experienced several tragedies the year before starting the program, causing the Wellness Education Department to take aggressive action.”We need to change the attitude of colleges across the nation,” she said. “This is not an acceptable college tradition. We need to get away from being big party schools.”According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, drivers ages 20-24 received 20 DWI’s in 2006, but the number dropped to 15 in 2008. Through almost six months in 2009, the same age group has already received nine DWI’s.Ralph Hingson, director of Epidemiology and prevention research for the NIAAA, said driving while intoxicated and binge drinking are more prevalent in the 21-24 year-old age group than the 18-20 age group — a statistic he attributes to the higher legal drinking age.Studies during the ‘70s and ‘80s found a direct correlation between a lowered drinking age and an increase in alcohol-related traffic incidents among the age group affected by the lower age limit, Hingson said. He said when the drinking age was raised, alcohol-related traffic accidents among the affected age group decreased.Brittany Melvin, University alumna, said she isn’t a binge drinker, but will have a drink about three or four times a week.”I can have a beer or a glass of wine, and it doesn’t affect me studying,” she said. “School comes first; I won’t drink if I have a test or something important like that.” Though the percentage of student drinking is on the rise, not all students follow the trend. “I don’t drink because it just doesn’t interest me,” said Ashley Thomas, biology senior. Thomas said she has friends that occasionally drink, but her group of friends aren’t partiers or binge drinkers. Gary Gintner, counseling program coordinator, said binge drinking is popular among college students because of the fresh independence, ample opportunities for drinking and alcohol’s inexpensiveness. He said drinking has also become heavily associated with college life.”Most students drink, but binge drinking contributes to most of the problems,” he said. “The University has made an impact through education, but it is still a campus problem.”Saichuk said preventing binge drinking requires making changes on a higher level than just individual students.”This is a community-based issue,” she said. “If you change the environment, it will help bring about changes in the individuals.”—-Contact Steven Powell at [email protected]