DANGEROUS CAMPUS DRINKING

INCIDENTS IN which students pass out and must be treated by paramedics
are not what most of us picture when we think about college drinking.

It's a balmy evening, kids are in shirt sleeves, the keg is full, so
why not hoist a few?

But all too often on college campuses these days, students are binge
drinking with the sole intention of getting drunk or passing out.
Reports of alcohol poisoning are on the upswing, including the most
tragic -- young people dying because of too much booze in their systems.

At last, university leaders, many of whom have been reluctant to step
out alone on the issue for fear of drawing negative attention to their
schools, are taking action. College presidents from 113 schools are
launching an advertising campaign designed to get parents to talk to
their college-bound children about the real dangers of immoderate drinking.

Excessive college drinking reportedly contributes to an estimated
three dozen deaths a year, 40 percent of all academic problems and 28
percent of dropout cases.

An end to drinking on campus isn't going to happen. But the more
students who learn that moderation is both a virtue and a life-saver,
the fewer who will be victims of binge drinking.