BINGE DRINKING

Boston colleges issue an important challenge

"To anyone who thinks that binge drinking is behavior that cannot be
changed, I offer the following challenge. At the next meeting you attend,
look around and count how many people are smoking. Today, because of the
wide recognition that smoking hurts the smoker and people nearby, the air
is clear. Binge drinking can become equally unacceptable on college campuses."

- - Henry Wechsler, director of college alcohol studies, Harvard School of
Public Health

Mr. Wechsler's remarks last month have been taken to heart by two dozen
Boston-area colleges. Last week, they announced a cooperative plan to
reduce binge drinking on their campuses.

The 53-point program includes alcohol-free freshman dormitories,
prohibition of liquor at fraternity and sorority rush parties and a ban on
the delivery of alcohol to university-approved housing.

The universities, which include Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, are determined to change the environment that makes drinking a
way of life for many students.

Last month, a 23-year-old junior at the University of Texas died from
alcohol poisoning. Jack Ivey had consumed four times the amount of alcohol
to be legally drunk.

Sadly, a recent survey of 14,500 college students found 43 percent had
engaged in binge drinking during the previous two weeks.

Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas and Texas A&M are
trying to address alcohol problems. UT has dealt harshly with social
organizations that include alcohol in their hazing activities. Southern
Methodist University President Gerald Turner sent a letter to every student
in October, outlining a plan to keep alcohol from dominating social life on
campus.

But universities in Texas could benefit from the approach taken by the
Boston area colleges.

A unified application of tough rules on alcohol consumption at most college
campuses would send an unavoidable signal to incoming freshmen.

Smoking was a rite of passage for many young adults. And binge drinking has
been a declaration of freedom for many students. The message about tobacco
is now clear. Texas campuses should join hands in delivering the same clear
message about alcohol.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski