Binge drinking: A subculture amongst Pepperdine students

Binge Drinking: Harmless college tradition, or something more? (Photo courtesy of Free Images)

One drink … two drink … three drink … floor.

For years, binge drinking has run rampant amongst college campuses, and has become a permanent way of life for some students. At Pepperdine University the issue is not as widespread, but it is still significant amongst the student body. Students who binge drink said they do so as a means to escape, relax or to fit in. Most do so without thinking about the health consequences.

“Binge drinking is not an issue for the majority of our students,” Pepperdine’s Dean of Student Affairs Mark Davis said. “However, there are some students who are greatly impacted by binge drinking. At Pepperdine, I’m really grateful that most students make wise choices, and I think they set a responsible tone for our community.”

Although Pepperdine is a dry campus, about one third of students drink heavily at off-campus apartments and house parties, a fall 2014 survey found.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism considers binge drinking to be “a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol content to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens when men consume five or more drinks, and when women consume four or more drinks, in about two hours.”

One standard drink is equal to roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, according to the NIAAA.

This amounts to 12 ounces of regular beer, which is roughly 5 percent alcohol, l5 ounces of wine, normally about 12 percent alcohol, and 1.5 ounces of hard liquor, usually about 40 percent alcohol, according to the NIAA website. A single cocktail might contain three or more servings of hard liquor.

Of the 54 students surveyed, two-thirds reported no alcohol consumption in the last 30 days.

“I don’t feel the need to drink because I can have fun without alcohol in the picture,” senior sports medicine major Bri Lariviere said. “I am comfortable in my own skin and I’ve seen how stupid some people act when drinking heavily. I don’t want to be like that.”

Even those who occasionally have a drink said they are careful to not overindulge.

“For me it’s a conviction thing,” senior business administration major Lisa Santroch said. “I don’t drink that often — or that much if and when I do — because people who don’t know me can judge me as a hypocrite for being a Christian. I don’t think drinking is a sin, but drinking to the point of impairment is. I’ll never let myself drink to that point.”

However, 18 students did report consuming alcohol, and nine of them said they binge when they go out. Fourteen reported they drink exclusively on the weekends.

The most popular drinking spots for Pepperdine students are at off-campus apartments and house parties, according to the Graphic survey.

“Since Pepperdine is a dry campus, I think students compensate by drinking off campus, like at the Stinkies or at house parties in the area during the weekends,” junior sports medicine major Brock Liebhardt said.

While there has been some notable DUI cases just off campus in the past two years, the Department of Public Safety does not keep track of student DUI’s in their annual Clery Report, said Dawn Emrich, deputy director of Administrative Operations. Public Safety wrote up 18 students in 2013 and 19 students in 2012 for California State liquor law violations, including being a minor in possession of alcohol or being drunk in public.

Every two years Pepperdine administers the National College Health Assessment to a random sample of Pepperdine Seaver students, Davis said.

The most recent survey compared the 2013 binge-drinking rate of all Pepperdine Seaver students to the national rate of students. 

“If you look at the National College Health Assessment, you’ll see that approximately 40 percent of students nationally report binge drinking at least once every two weeks, while roughly 30 percent of Pepperdine students engage in the behavior,” Pepperdine’s Alcohol and Other Drugs Program Coordinator Dr. Robert Scholz said.

The 2013 report measured the number of times college students consumed five or more drinks in a single sitting during the last two weeks, Davis said.

“The data shows that, although higher than desired, Pepperdine’s rate of binge drinking is lower than the national average,” Scholz said.

But what the survey does not measure is the driving force that leads college students to drink heavily.

“It’s a complex issue, but I think one of the main reasons is stress relief,” Scholz said. “Today’s student, in general, experiences a great deal of stress and anxiety. I think they’re looking for an outlet that gives them quick relief.”

Eight students even cited alcohol as a type of “anti-depressant” for some of the student body.

Often times, Pepperdine students who are using binge drinking as an escape from something aren’t necessarily aware of what they are escaping from, but sometimes are just trying to avoid reality for a night and relax, junior business administration major Amanda Davis said.

It’s no secret that binge drinking creates this sense of belonging by acting as the centerpiece to socializing in college, students said. In some settings, a night’s activities are planned strictly around the substance, and if one does not partake, he or she does not belong.

“I think binge drinkers consider this need to fit in when they choose to drink heavily,” senior business administration major Mat Snider said. “Acceptance is a common feeling students think drinking will bring them.”

Students seem to believe that they will only be accepted if they go along with the masses, even if this puts their life at risk. Many students are unaware of how drinking heavily is detrimental to them long term, Snider said.

“Many of the students I work with are pretty unaware of how alcohol is impacting them,” Scholz said.  “Some initially come in seeking help for other issues like depression or anxiety, but as we start to peel back the issues, we see that alcohol is part of the problem. It’s delicate, because many students are pretty defensive about their alcohol use and so it takes a very non-confrontational approach to help them take a meaningful look at their alcohol use.”

Pepperdine requires all incoming students to complete a prevention course during the summer before New Student Orientation, since the first few weeks of school are the highest risk period for alcohol abuse, Davis said.  

“Every new student is required to take and pass a comprehensive on-line alcohol education course,” Scholz said. “This course includes both alcohol education and personal feedback about a student’s alcohol consumption.”

During NSO week, the counseling center hosts sessions where various staff members address first-year and transfer students to discuss alcohol related concerns, along with advising them on how to seek help individually or for a friend struggling with alcohol addiction problems, Scholz said.

Pepperdine already administers a “dry campus” policy as well. But it is nearly impossible for the university to control what occurs off campus, Emrich said.

When DPS interacts with an intoxicated student, the focus is on health and safety, Emrich said.

In the student handbook there is a “Good Samaritan” clause — essentially stipulating that students cannot get in trouble for any policy violations for seeking help for someone in need, and the student in need won’t get in trouble either. This means if your friend has alcohol poisoning, you can get him or her help without either of you getting in trouble.

Individuals who are attempting to cope with alcohol issues should feel confident when reaching out to the Counseling Center for help. All cases are confidential and no student should be fearful of punishment if they are struggling with addiction issues, Emrich said.

“If the student were to seek help for an alcohol problem beyond the need of immediate medical attention, we would engage the resources at the counseling center to help in the student’s long-term recovery,” Emrich said.  

Davis said the most effective prevention is peer influence, when students address concerns about drinking and encourage their peers to speak up to get them the help they need.

Scholz encourages students to seek the counseling center’s help with alcohol use and abuse.

Kelsey Blosser completed this story in Dr. Christina Littlefield’s fall 2014 Jour 241 class.