Report:

FRATERNITY, SORORITY MEMBERS MORE LIKELY TO DRINK, USE DRUGS THAN NON-GREEKS

College fraternity and sorority members are sometimes stereotyped as
lively students known for their keg parties, and a new study suggests
that this may be partly true. Greeks on college campuses are in some
instances twice as likely to drink while underage and use illegal
drugs as non-Greek students.

That's according to a report conducted by the State Epidemiological
Outreach Workgroup (SEOW), which was released recently by Spartanburg
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission. SEOW examined information on
alcohol, drug, tobacco and other data to examine substance abuse in
South Carolina. Each of the 46 counties received an individual report
which includes data on teen pregnancy, crime, truancy, and substance abuse.

Out of the nearly 50-page report, SADAC officials said they were most
surprised by the high rates at which fraternity and sorority members
binge drink, drink while driving, and use illegal drugs. A survey was
given to 390 students at an anonymous college in Spartanburg County.
Of those 390 students, 273 were ages 17 to 20.

Binge Drinking

In 2007, the study shows that 65 percent of all students and athletes
used alcohol within the past 30 days, while that number is close to
90 percent for Greeks. Half of freshmen surveyed had used alcohol
within the past month.

Binge drinking rates were also noticeably higher with Greeks. Binge
alcohol use is defined as five or more drinks on a single occasion.
While just above 40 percent of all students and athletes admitted to
binge drinking within the past two weeks of the survey, close to 80
percent of Greeks admitted to binge drinking.

"Its alarming to us because of the fact that they're underage," said
SADAC prevention specialist Greg McCullough, "and also with the
illegal substances like cocaine and marijuana, it's just a high
percentage - much higher than what you'd find in the general population."

In 2007, the study found that 45 percent of Greeks used marijuana in
the past year, compared with 25 percent of all other students, about
24 percent of freshmen, and 15 percent of athletes. Roughly twenty
percent of Greeks used some drug other than marijuana in the past
year, compared with about eight percent of all other students.

Numbers were high for Greeks who drink and drive. Fifty-four percent
of Greeks admitted to drinking and driving, compared with 34 percent
of all other students. And more Greeks have been arrested for driving
under the influence - 13 percent - compared with just 4 percent of
student athletes and 2 percent of freshmen, the study found.

"The biggest concern is that in college - at age 18, 19, 20 - your
brain is still developing and doesn't finish maturing until the early
20s or mid 20s," McCullough said. "And to introduce these substances
is throwing a big wrench in their development. The earlier you use
these substances, the more likely you'll have dependency problems on
these drugs."

McCullough said SADAC plans to establish a collaborative panel of
officials from each of the county's colleges to find ways to prevent
underage drinking and substance abuse. Student life coordinators at a
few local colleges admit that a problem exists. They said this study
closely mirrors national data, which often suggests that Greek
students use drugs and alcohol more frequently than other college students.

"It's definitely a problem," said Erin Morgan, who coordinates the
drug and alcohol program at the University of South Carolina Upstate,
adding that freshman and student athletes are also in the high-risk group.

Morgan noted that many students' perception is that "drinking is just
seen as a rite of passage - its kind of like 'everybody does it in
college - that's what you do,' " she said. "If you take it out of
college setting, and were in the real world, they would have full
blown addiction or alcohol problem. They don't realize that once they
graduate, it doesn't stop."

Morgan is a certified counselor who presents workshops and activities
on drug and alcohol awareness. An interest meeting was held on campus
last fall to discuss creating an anonymous alcohol and drug recovery
group, because the need is there, she said.

Starting Younger

"What some of the national data is showing is that students are
actually coming to college with addiction problems already
established," Morgan said. "Kids are starting to use and get addicted
younger and younger."

Fortunately, there have never been any drug or alcohol-related deaths
at USC Upstate, nor at Wofford College, officials said. In December,
an 18-year-old Clemson University student died after binge drinking
at an off-campus fraternity house, and authorities said he had at
least four times the legal limit of alcohol to drive in his system.
That incident has prompted discussions about stepping up awareness,
said Roberta Bigger, vice-president for students at Wofford.

"We can't do enough education with the students," Bigger said.

Wofford serves 1,350 students and almost half of them are in Greek
life. Underage drinking does happen, but, because the fraternity
houses are located on campus, as are many of the social events,
drinking and driving isn't a big issue, officials said.

Courtney Shelton is Wofford's director of student activities and
Greek life. Officers within each of the 13 Greek-letter organizations
go through training at the beginning of each semester. To ensure
accountability, the college has "sober party officers," who monitor
parties and turn in names to Shelton's office of those engaging in
underage drinking.

"We want them to be able to be educated and know what their liability
is and their responsibility for their fellow student," Shelton said.

The college has counseling and referral services, too.

"I think it's an issue. I don't want to paint an issue that our
student are absolutely perfect," Bigger said. "We have our challenges."

In fact, a student can confidentially refer a friend to counseling or
health services. And the bond that fraternity and sorority members
share within their group often prompts one member to encourage
another to get help with a problem, Shelton said.

"That's definitely one of strengths of any Greek organization: they
do have close relationships and accountability," Shelton said.
"They're aware when something's not going right with one of their
friend or chapter members, so they're very comfortable going to
health services to refer a friend."