There is a strong correlation between binge drinking and participation in varsity athletics or the Greek system at Penn, according to a report released yesterday.
In February, more than 3,700 undergraduates responded to an online survey about their alcohol consumption over a two-week span. The Office of Health Education ultimately analyzed that data.
The statistics show that binge drinking, which is defined as five alcoholic drinks on one occasion for male students and four for female students, is significantly more common with varsity athletes, Greeks and students who live off campus.
More than 90 percent of students who fit all three categories reported binge drinking during the two weeks prior to taking the survey. These students were found to be 19 times more likely to report binge drinking than students living on-campus who are neither athletes nor Greek.
Student and faculty interviews and secondary data sources, such as the number of registered parties on and off campus, were also considered in the study. The report was made possible by a grant from the Department of Education that was awarded to Penn in July 2000 for improvements made to the University's alcohol policy.
The resulting data show that among Penn students, 49 percent binge drank on at least one occasion in the two weeks prior to the survey. That figure is down 11 percent from 1999, when Harvard University ran a study of the alcohol habits of Penn students. In addition, Penn's figures are highly comparable to those of its Ivy League peers.
"We have said from the beginning that the steps that we were taking were incremental," said Provost Robert Barchi, who helped form the University's Working Group on Alcohol Abuse. "We're not looking in one year for dramatic changes. We're also looking for a better handle on what we do here."
The report shows that while students who drink consume an average of almost seven beverages per week, two-thirds of students who responded drink once a week or less.
Greeks who live in fraternity or sorority houses were found to be 10 times more likely to report binge drinking than non-Greeks who live on campus.
InterFraternity Council President Mark Zimring said that although progress has been made in the Greek system through education and party registration, the numbers did not come as a shock.
"It's one of those things that's not easy to solve," Zimring said. "While the numbers seem surprisingly high, they are very similar to those of our peer institutions. I don't think we can pinpoint the exact causes."
Barchi said he was not surprised to hear about the high incidence of binge drinking among athletes or Greeks, given similar trends at other schools.
"We are not saying that all varsity athletes drink, or that all varsity athletes are at risk," he said. "The patterns are similar to what you would see at any other major university across the country."
Penn's alcohol policy came under fire in March 1999 after the alcohol-related death of an alumnus at a Locust Walk fraternity. University President Judith Rodin later banned alcohol at undergraduate events, prompting student protests.
The provost's office then commissioned a committee of students and faculty to evaluate and provide suggestions for Penn's alcohol policy. The committee responded with 44 recommendations, many of which have been incorporated into the new policy.
Director of Alcohol Policy Initiatives Stephanie Ives said the University has made significant progress in educating students about the medical amnesty clause, which allows students to seek treatment for drug-related injury without being disciplined. Of those surveyed in both the February survey and one conducted in spring 2000, 78 percent said knowledge of that clause would make them more likely to seek help in an emergency.
Ives also cited a marketing campaign, launched by the Office of the Vice Provost for University Life to highlight the relatively low alcohol consumption of most Penn students, as having created more awareness about the issue of alcohol abuse. The campaign included posters on campus and advertisements in The Daily Pennsylvanian.
In addition to the drop in binge drinking, Penn ranks lower than its peers in negative consequences of alcohol use, which include missed class, damaged property and injuries.
