Two-thirds of KU students are moderate drinkers, according to a survey.
Two-thirds of Kansas University students consume no more than five alcoholic beverages when they drink, according to survey results released Friday by the Social Norms Media Project.
The study also found that three-quarters of KU students designate nondrinking drivers when they go out. And, the study found, 18 percent of students do not consume alcohol at all.
Jannette Berkley-Patton, project facilitator, said the results are being used in a media campaign to counter the perception among university students that binge drinking is normal behavior.
"We want to share the truth back to the students," Berkley-Patton said.
She hopes that as more students learn how the majority acts, fewer will be influenced by the perception that college-age drinking means bingeing.
"We want fewer and fewer outside the norm," she said.
The project is an outgrowth of the Joint City-Universities Task Force on Alcohol Abuse Prevention. Based on information gathered by the task force, KU was able to get a $450,000 grant from the Kansas Health Foundation to fund the project.
The Social Norms Media Project is based on similar programs at Northern Illinois University and the University of Arizona.
At NIU, drinking rates were lowered by 44 percent, according to Berkley-Patton.
The survey was conducted in the spring 1998 semester, and 1,600 students participated. The surveys were administered to a variety of classes so that the results would reflect a balance among colleges and class rankings.
Berkley-Patton said the social norms approach seems to be more effective than using scare tactics.
-- Erwin Seba's phone message number is 832-7145. His e-mail address is eseba@ljworld.com.
DRINKING PATTERNS The Social Norms Media Project survey found:
|
No comments
Commenting is turned off for this story.