COLLEGE PROGRAMS FIGHT DRUG, ALCOHOL ABUSE

Revisions to the student alcohol policy in recent years have been
steadfastly flanked by a flotilla of new and old prevention and treatment
programs in the fight against drug and alcohol abuse.

With the help of dedicated research institutes, Dartmouth and other schools
have not been alone in their search for answers to this stubborn problem.

In early January, the Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy (PLNDP)
made waves when it distributed its report on adolescent drug abuse to
governors and members of Congress across the country.

According to the study, drug and alcohol abuse rates among all adolescents
remained high. Inadequate treatment is in part to blame for the high rates
of drug abuse.

Only one in 10 adolescents who suffer from drug abuse problems is
professionally treated, while only 25 percent of those treated receive
enough treatment, the study said.

On average, adolescents are treated for alcohol or drug problems for only
six weeks, while the National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends three months.

At Dartmouth, the Counseling and Human Development Center offers treatment
programs for alcohol and drugs. Students can be assessed by professionals
in the CHDC for symptoms of alcohol or drug abuse, and face-to-face
treatment is available on a short-term basis. Group counseling is run
through the CHDC to support students interested in abstinence or low-risk
drinking.

Simply making treatment available, though, is often not enough. In fact,
educating students about the options for drug and alcohol treatment is one
of the highest hurdles Dick's House faces.

"One of the real challenges is to take the programs in place, that I think
are many, and match them to the students who need them," Dr. John Turco said.

Many students, however, are unaware of the range of options that the
College offers.

"I knew somebody last year who possibly could have used that treatment but
didn't end up getting it," Michael Graziano '05 said.

Unfortunately, students who may have the most severe alcohol problems are
least apt to seek help from treatment programs offered by health services.

"A lot of people who get admitted to health services are just naive about
alcohol. To be honest, its not the heroic drinkers on campus who are
admitted -- they now how to stay out of it," Turco said.

In an effort to teach students about drug and alcohol abuse, this year's
freshman class became the first to be given the option to take an
educational survey on alcohol administered through a privately-owned
website, alcoholedu.com. Although students were not mandated to take the
survey, about 150 to 200 students have completed it, while about 350 are
still in the process of completing it.

Turco hopes to make the survey mandatory for all students in every incoming
freshman class. Dick's House recently sent a reminder email to freshmen who
have not yet started the survey, which takes two to three hours to complete
but can be broken up into smaller sections.

"Hopefully we can get to a point where students will feel it's worthwhile,"
he said.

The study also found that habitual drinking peaks around the time
adolescents reach the age of 21 and can drink legally.

Turco argued that the legal drinking age unintentionally impedes the
prevention of alcohol abuse among college students. Most drinking at
Dartmouth occurs without qualified supervisors who could help to minimize
dangerous drinking behavior.

The College could provide for this kind of atmosphere for all students, but
state and federal law prohibit it from serving alcohol to minors.

"I think that it would make more sense to be able to serve alcohol in a
much more controlled environment," Turco said.

Dr. Katherine Cales-Wessel, Vice President of PLNDP, said that college
campuses often do not have strong enough means of finding those who need help.

As a result, many students with drug problems slip past treatment programs.
The PLNDP report also recommended that all health personnel be trained in
order to detect at-risk patients.

The social norms campaign, the products of which first blanketed campus
with posters two years ago, has been the one of the most extensive efforts
to lower excessive drinking levels at Dartmouth in recent years.

Other colleges have found that their social norms campaigns led to
significant reductions in the overall levels of abusive drinking among
students. Dartmouth's campaign has yet to reap as positive outcomes.

"You're not going to necessarily see dramatic changes in the course of a
year so you have to stick with it," Turco said.

An extension of the social norms campaign, Drug and Alcohol Peer Advisors
are taught the basics on the risks of abuse in the intention that they will
spark discussion in the student body.

Advisors are also instilled with counseling skills to prepare them if they
need to give preliminary help to someone at risk of drug abuse.

Researchers have debated heatedly over the health benefits of moderate
drinking since the topic was first broached in 1948. Many studies since
then have reported upwards of 50 percent decreases in the occurrence of
heart disease among adults who drink approximately one alcoholic beverage a
day.

These striking benefits, some would contend, do not extend to the 18- to
22-year-old age group, which has a minimal risk of heart disease as is.