UNIVERSITY SEES LITTLE CHANGE IN SUBSTANCE USE

Yet Cardinal Stritch finds fewer behavior problems related to alcohol, drugs

An intensive, $120,000 campaign to reform Cardinal Stritch University
students' attitudes about alcohol and drug had little effect, but
drastically reduced instances of public misconduct linked to such use.

School officials discussed their efforts to control inappropriate alcohol
and drug usage among students in an interview Thursday before a daylong
seminar at the school on college drug and alcohol use.

As a result of the campaign, binge drinking at the school declined from 31%
to 29% -- not a statistically significant drop. Students were surveyed in
1994 and 1996. Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more drinks on
one occasion.

The 1996 binge rate of 29% at Cardinal Strich is higher than the 12.9% binge
drinking rate for all adults in Wisconsin -- the highest of any state in the
country. However, the school's rate is considerably better than the national
college student binge drinking rate of 41%.

Among other survey findings: underage drinking declined from 60% to 56%, and
drinking by any student in a 30-day period was 70% in 1994 and 69% in 1996.
Marijuana users totaled 11% in 1996 vs. 8% in 1994.

But whereas in 1994, 45% of students reported alcohol or drug-related
problems -- such as trouble with police, fighting, arrest for drunk driving,
or taking sexual advantage of someone -- those problems dropped to 29% in
1996.

And serious personal problems such as suicidal feelings, being hurt or
injured, missing classes, poor test results, trying unsuccessfully to stop
such usage or having been sexually assaulted, declined from 31% to 17%.

Despite the improvements, Carol Ott, director of counseling/health services,
and Robert M. Abene, dean of students, acknowledged that much remains to be
done.

As the executive summary of the two-year project stated: "When over 20% of
the faculty and staff still respond in a positive manner to acceptance of
'an occasional drunk,' there is still educational work that needs to be
done."

"Unfortunately because of the influence of the alcohol industry and with the
national and Wisconsin media promoting this alcohol use, alcohol and other
drug prevention continues to be a challenge," the report states.

The summary noted some of the school's accomplishments in recent years.
Among them:

• Establishing a volunteer segment in student orientation. Service and
volunteering are emphasized throughout the school year. Participation in
such activities has increased from 17% of students to 23%.

• More strictly enforcing drinking rules by Residence Hall supervisors
(those 21 and older can have alcohol in their rooms). In 1994, there were
only two write-ups for alcohol violations. The next year, there were 15; the
year after that, 52.

• Keeping school officials better informed of any misbehavior by students in
the community by working with Glendale and Fox Point police.

• Replacing an end-of-the-year party, which often resulted in alcohol
misuse, with an alcohol- and drug-free carnival; and establishing additional
events, such as a winter olympics.

• Establishing an alcohol- and drug-free coffeehouse in the Residence Hall.

• Developing a mentoring program for student athletes, who exhibited the
highest level of drug and alcohol use.

• Offering more intramural and fieldhouse activities in an effort to keep
more students on campus during the weekends.

• Students organizing a chapter of BACCHUS, an organization that fights
alcohol and drug misuse.