This week is National Alcohol Awareness Week, and collegesacross the country, including The University of Memphis, areeducating their students about the dangers of binge drinking andalcohol poisoning.
On average, college students drink more during their college-ageyears than in any other stage of their lives, said EdwardEllsworth, assistant professor at The U of M department of humanmovement sciences and education.
In addition, an estimated 1,400 college students die every yearin the United States in alcohol-related incidents, and most ofthose have to do with drinking and driving, according to a studyconducted for the National Institute for Health.
However, at The U of M, alcoholism is not as prevalent asstudents may perceive it to be, said Mia Powers, graduate assistantin Student Health Services. Some students believe that drinkingalcohol is a big part of university culture and social activities,but studies focusing on The U of M debunk that myth, she said.
Health educators are trying to drive the unimportance ofdrinking home by plastering the campus with the "Just the Facts"campaign, which tells students that only three out of 10 studentsdrink more than three drinks a week. And since binge drinking formales is defined as having more than four drinks in one sitting,that means fewer than 30 percent of students binge drink on aweekly basis.
One of the major reasons for college alcoholism is theavailability and advertising of alcohol directly to collegestudents, Dowdall said.
One of the most frequently asked question Powers hears is aboutwhat students should do to handle alcohol poisoning, one of themajor risks of binge drinking.
When the blood alcohol level is high, a person experiencessymptoms of alcohol poisoning include slowed breathing, cold,clammy skin and unconscious vomiting.
Sometimes students do not report cases of alcohol poisoningbecause they fear they will be punished for drinking, which isillegal on The U of M campus.
"But taking precautions (with alcohol) is better than a persondying," Powers said. Powers will be at the University Center Malltoday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. answering questions, handing outinformation on binge drinking and letting students experience afatal vision goggles obstacle course.
