Alcohol crimes low, despite small jump

Kayci Combs
News Stringer

As reports of drinking on college campuses go up around the United States, SIUE has reported only a small increase.

Since 1997 incidents of drinking on campus have only had slight increases each year. The total arrests in 1997 was 47, but in 1998 that number dropped by 17 to 30. The arrests jumped up to 56 in 1999. Since January 2000 only 10 alcohol-related arrests were reported.

A survey conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education shows alcohol-related arrests on college campuses have gone up by 24.3 percent in 1998, the largest jump in seven years.

During 1998 SIUE campus police reported 24 arrests for driving under the influence, 14 illegal transports of alcohol, four illegal possession arrests and 23 illegal consumption. These figures show the arrests but are not broken down by student versus guest on campus.

In 1999, the number of DUIs decreased to 15 while the number of illegal transportation arrests increased to 28. Illegal posessions stayed the same with four arrests, while illegal consumption rose to 23.

As of January 2000, only seven DUI arrests have been made on campus.

Michael Schultz, director of housing, said that SIUE is like any other university - it has trouble with drinking. He said that it is not exceptional in its problem but about average.

Schultz also said that to curb drinking in the dormitories, residents take an alcohol class as punishment for being caught drinking. Called Alcohol 101, the computer course teaches students about the dangers of drinking, as well as how to drink responsibly.

The electronic bar in the program allows students to enter their weights and heights, as well as if they had anything to eat. Participants can then "drink" as much as they want and see the effects of the alcohol on their systems without actually consuming it.

Binge drinking is also up on college campuses. A survey done by the Harvard School of Public Health states 22.7 percent of college students binge drank in 1999, up from 19.8 percent in 1993.

A binge drinker is defined as someone who drinks at least five drinks, four for women, in a row at least three or more times during a two-week period.

Henry Wechlsher, a social psychologist and Harvard researcher, told the Edwardsville Intelligencer that until the past decade alcohol abuse was the "little secret" of college campuses...