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President Crow,
Ignorance is Not Bliss
Imagine this: finals are over, stressful tests are of the past, and the time to relax is now.
The students of Arizona State University decide to celebrate. Someone throws a party and invites
their friends over. There is alcohol. There is music. There is dancing. Everyone laughs at their
failures, rejoices over their successes, and looks forward to a new semester. Suddenly, a scream
pierces through the air. Everyone’s heads turn. They see a girl kneeling near her friend who lies
deadly still upon the ground. The music instantly turns off. An older student runs forward to pat
the friend on the head. The friend does not wake. Her skin begins to pale. No one knows what to
do. The friend’s breathing slowly begins to fade.
What happens next completely depends upon the people at the party. If the girl is lucky,
there will be someone who knows how to help her. Most of the time, however, the participants of
the festivity have limited to no knowledge as to how to handle the situation. At that moment, the
correct and logical decision would be to call the police. If minors are present at the party,
however, the right choice may be ignored because the fear of getting in trouble overwhelms all
other senses. What is more terrifying than ignoring common sense during this crisis is the fact
that the scene previously described is not fabricated; it is reality. Every weekend, parties are
thrown around Arizona State University that minors attend. The people that attend may not be
fully aware of the different consequences from drinking. The ignorance of many students cause
drinking to be even more dangerous than it already is. Because of this, President Crow, I urge
you to consider incorporating lessons on alcohol in every ASU 101 class to teach students about
the dangers of drinking, especially underage drinking. You will find that this class is not only
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necessary but will also lower the number of drinkers in Arizona State University, thus increasing
its reputation across the nation.
Attempting to educate the public about alcohol has always been difficult. Professor Engs
from Indiana University discloses four different approaches that have been used in attempt to
educate the public in order lower the drinking rate. The first is called the Abstinence Model,
which “portrays alcohol as ‘bad’ or ‘sinful’” (Engs). The hope for this model was that people
would be frightened away by the negative portrayal of alcohol. The second attempt is the SocialEconomic Model that provides facts to its students, such as “fatal automobile accidents, crime,
and family problems related to alcohol abuse” (Engs). However, it failed to mention anything
about the billions of dollars that the economy gains from the production and selling of alcohol,
which caused people to distrust it. The third model is the Alcoholism Approach, which pushes
the idea that once you drink, you will become an alcoholic. Needless to say, this attempt failed as
well as the first two models. The final model is known as the Alternative Approach, which
pushes for a person to enjoy activities other than drinking. What studies have found, however, is
the fact that recreational activities, such as fishing and skiing, encourage people to drink.
Unfortunately, these approaches provided “little change in drinking patterns or increase of
responsible drinking” (Engs). There are philosophies, however, that have been adopted to
encourage the public to reflect upon their drinking habits. In 1969, churches at a North Conway
Institute conference proposed the philosophy of responsible drinking that was adopted and
altered by the National institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Now, many alcohol
education programs use this philosophy. For example, Operation Threshold, a program that
attempts to reduce alcohol abuse, “encourages its members and others to consume alcohol in a
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responsible way through small group discussions, lectures, and educational pamphlets” (Engs).
This shows that alcohol education progresses through each program established.
Because Arizona State University does not educate its students on drinking, most
students not fully grasp the dangers that parallel with consuming alcohol. Most college students
have knowledge of alcohol’s short-term effects, such as confusion and impaired memory, but
many are not aware of are the long-term effects and risks from alcohol. One risk is developing
Wernike – Korsakoff Syndrome, which is a disease that causes oculomotor disturbances (a type
of eye nerve paralysis) and impaired muscle coordination (“Alcohol Alert”). This is caused from
a deficiency in thiamine 15 (or Vitamin B), which is a common problem among most alcoholics.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 80% of people who drink
have a thiamine 15 deficiency (“Alcohol Alert”). This number means that 80% of drinkers are at
the risk of suffering from Wernike – Korsakoff. How many college students are aware of such a
consequence? Another danger associated with drinking is a condition known as binge drinking.
This is when someone drinks “heavily in a short space of time to get drunk or feel the effects of
alcohol”. Whenever a college student exclaims, “I’m going to get wasted tonight,” they are,
unknowingly, saying, “Tonight, I will binge drink.” Binge drinking is defined as “3-4 units of
alcohol for men (equivalent to a pint and a half of 4% beer) and 2-3 units of alcohol for women
(equivalent to a 175 ml glass of wine)” (Bateman). It is more dangerous than regular drinking
because it raises your blood alcohol concentration faster, which makes you feel the effects of
alcohol quicker. Over a long period of time, binge drinking can damage the liver. Most people
are aware of this fact. What most people do not know is how liver dysfunctions can affect the
brain. There is a serious brain disorder called hepatic encephalopathy, which is when the
functions of a brain worsens due to the liver’s inability to “remove toxic substances in the blood”
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(“Hepatic Encephalopathy”). Although college students may have knowledge on the effects of
alcohol, their knowledge is very limited as to the medical consequences of drinking.
Alcohol not only affects someone on a medical basis, but also on a legal premise. The
legal age for drinking is 21 years old, yet more than 10 million youths across the nation
consumed alcohol in 2010 (Blackman). It is questionable to whether these youths understand the
severe punishments of getting caught. Not only does the conviction for alcohol offense stay on a
minor’s permanent record, but also “Arizona classifies underage drinking as a Class 2
Misdemeanor punishable by a maximum $750 fine and four months in jail” (“Information on
Phoenix, Arizona Underage Drinking Laws and Statutes”). Along with these consequences, a
minor’s driving permit may be restricted which could result in “inflated premiums and limited
coverage” from the minor’s insurance company (“Information on Phoenix, Arizona Underage
Drinking Laws and Statutes”). A person who has such a record will also have limitations in their
life, such as having a more difficult time earning scholarships obtaining careers. Many students
do not realize how one foolish decision can haunt the rest of their lives.
Despite common belief, a large percentage of college students do not know what binge
drinking is. When I asked my friends what they thought binge drinking was, most replied with
doubtful faces and answered with questions. The most confident response I received was, “It’s
just drinking, Cindy. That’s all. It’s not a big deal.” When I explained to them what binge
drinking was and the consequences associated with it, they seemed horrified. One of my friends
even exclaimed, “No way!” Their surprise and disbelief proves the ignorance of many college
students. In 2011, Century Council (a non-profit organization that fights against underage
drinking) performed a survey and found that “36% of college students report binge drinking”
(“Statistics and Reports on College Binge Drinking”). Please allow me to turn your attention
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upon the word “report”. This means that the students who admit they binge drink were
cognitively aware of their actions and the effects of binge drinking. The statistic does not include
students who were unaware that they were binge drinking, which means that the percentage of
college students who binge drink could be significantly larger. Even if a student did know that he
or she was binge drinking, the student might not have reported it, which could make the statistic
even higher.
These statistics and stories are frightening, but what is more troubling is the fact that
Arizona State University does not directly address the problem of underage drinking and binge
drinking. It is true that there is a webpage on its website dedicated to alcohol, but the information
provided is limited to only a few facts that pertain to alcohol (“Alcohol & Other Drugs”). There
is not an emphasis on the dangers of drinking, and binge drinking is not even mentioned on the
website. In addition, the webpage is also hard to find. A student would not casually stumble upon
this website while browsing the Internet. The solution to the number of drinking students is not
to implement harsher punishments on the students without a reason, but to educate the students
in order to show them the consequences of drinking. Therefore, it is crucial for Arizona State
University to incorporate a lesson on drinking and its effects in its ASU 101 classes.
The lesson instructing students on the dangers of drinking should include several things.
First of all, it should be made a mandatory day for the students to attend. This way, the student
has no excuse to not know the dangers and consequences of drinking. Within the lesson, there
must be facts and statistics that show the dangers of alcohol and underage drinking. These two
items are irrefutable and present the information to students without bias, which allows the
students to form their own opinions. Along with these facts, there should also be stories that
show how families and individual lives have been affected by alcohol. An example story would
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be the tragedy of Bethani Werner, a beautiful 20 year old college student. She was hit and killed
by a car as she was crossing a street to return back to her campus. The driver was a man named
Mark Ballinger who was under the influence of alcohol. Amazingly, the fault of the accident is
not entirely upon the driver. According to Brian Steven, the Corporal Police Officer who
investigated this accident, Werner’s blood alcohol content was .244, while Ballinger’s blood
alcohol content was .107. Although both were above the legal limit (which is .08 in Iowa),
according to their blood-alcohol levels, Werner was more intoxicated than Ballinger was. The
person who is truly responsible for the accident is still in question. Stevens says, “A young
woman made a mistake” (Wellner). Had Werner been less intoxicated, she could have made the
decision to not cross the street when she saw car coming. Likewise, had Ballinger been more
sober, he could have stopped his car to prevent the death of a 20 year old. This story should be
incorporated within the lesson plan because it shows that alcohol affects not only you, but also
people around as you.
The implementation of alcohol education proves to lower the number of drinking college
students. University of Maryland requires every freshman to complete an online program called
AlcoholEdu that is “designed to inform students about how alcohol affects the body, mind,
perceptions, and behaviors” (“New Student Alcohol Education Program Requirement”). The
program has raised the student’s awareness of alcohol, which increased the percentage of
students who abstain from drinking to 21% and students who keep track of the number of drinks
they consume to 70%. The University of Florida takes a similar approach to educating its
students on the effects of alcohol. Instead of requiring its students to take an online course, the
university asks its students to complete e-CHECKUP TO GO, an “evidence-based on-line
alcohol intervention and personalized feedback tool”. E-CHECK UP TO GO allows students to
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input their personal information to assess their alcohol habits and meets their needs with
“comprehensive, interactive, and personalized” approaches (“New Student Alcohol Education
Program Requirement”). From this program, “high-risk student athletes reported a 46%
reduction in weekly drinking quantity, 46% reduction in frequency of drinking to intoxication,
and 32% reduction in peak drinking levels” (“Presentation and Discussions”). These statistics
show the significance of alcohol education in a university.
In order to gain the perspective of someone who has dealt with drinking college students,
I interviewed Kevin Clark, who worked as a cop for 26 years and retired as a commander. He
agrees that alcohol education would “definitely be beneficial” because college students need to
understand that there are severe consequences that come along with drinking, especially with
underage drinking. In fact, he believes that it would even decrease the consumption of alcohol
because “people are always less likely to partake in an activity when they fully understand the
consequences that come along with it” (Clark). He heavily supports the idea of educating college
students on drinking.
Commander Clark also believes that Arizona State University should heavily enforce a
zero tolerance policy for alcohol. To do this, Arizona State University should implement cub
buyback programs and implement heavy DUI consequences. A cub buyback program is “when
the police department uses undercover explorers (cops in training) and has them buy large
amounts of alcohol from local convenience stores around campus. This would discourage those
store owners from selling to minors” (Clark). Although Commander Kevin makes an excellent
point, it is crucial to remember that the root of most drinking problems is a drinker’s ignorance.
It would be unfair and unethical to punish someone who does not have knowledge of the
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consequences of drinking in order to make an informed decision. The question of whether
Arizona State University has the monetary means and the time to implement such a plan is
unavoidable. ASU Online alone generated $6.2 million in profit in 2011 (Ryman). Surely, there
is some money to implement such a necessary lesson. Another solution would be for Arizona
State University to implement an online class, instead of incorporating a lesson into ASU 101
because it may be cheaper. This may be true, but online classes often lack the personal
connection between the students and the subject they are studying. The student might not pay
attention to their online course, thus defeating the entire purpose of implementing alcohol
education.
College drinking is a prevalent problem across the nation with many dangerous
consequences. Arizona State University, however, does not address any of these issues with the
exception of its miniscule and ineffective webpage on alcohol abuse. Instead of ignoring the
problems, Arizona State University should educate college students further on the consequences
of the different drinking types by incorporating an alcohol awareness lesson in ASU 101 classes.
This will allow the students to make informed decisions when dealing with alcohol. If Arizona
State University does not incorporate this solution, the number of drinking students will continue
to escalate because they are not as informed as they could be. As Commander Kevin says,
“College students need to understand that they will get caught and it has the possibility of
seriously affecting their life” (Clark).
Work Cited
"Alcohol Alert." National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. U.S. Department of Health
& Human Services, Oct. 2004. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
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"Alcohol & Other Drugs." Arizona State University. Arizona State University, n.d. Web. 12 Dec.
2012.
Bateman, Matthew. "What Is Binge Drinking?" Drinkaware.com. Drinkaware, 04 Dec. 2012.
Web. 07 Dec. 2012.
Blackman, Ralph. The Century Council: N.p. Beam, 02 October 2012. Web. 05 November 2012.
Clark, Kevin. Personal Interview. 1 December 2012.
Engs, Ruth C. "Responsibility and Alcohol: Teaching Responsible Decisions About Alcohol and
Its Use for Those Who Chose to Drink." Indiana University. Journal of Health Education,
Jan. 1981. Web. 12 Dec. 2012.
"Hepatic Encephalopathy." PubMed Health. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 16 Oct. 2011.
Web. 14 Dec. 2012.
"Information on Phoenix, Arizona Underage Drinking Laws and Statutes - Attorney Adept at
Minor in Possession Litigation." Arizona Criminal Law Resource. David Wroblewski, n.d.
Web. 14 Dec. 2012.
"New Student Alcohol Education Program Requirement." Division of Student Affairs. University
of Florida, 15 June 2012. Web. 14 Dec. 2012.
"Presentations and Discussion from the 2012 & 2011 NASPA Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse
Prevention & Intervention Conferences." ECHECKUP TO GO. San Diego State University
Research Foundation, 2009. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
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Ryman, Anne. "ASU Seizing Online Future." Azcentral.com. The Arizona Republic, 5 June
2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
"Statistics and Reports on College Binge Drinking." Century Council. Century Council, 2011.
Web. 11 Dec. 2012.
Wellner, Brian. "Driver in Fatal Accident Faces OWI Charge." The Quad-City Times. The QuadCity Times, 06 Dec. 2010. Web. 12 Dec. 2012.