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Opening Arguments

Bingeless in Bloomington

"Binge drinking" is defined as "five or more drinks for a man and four for a woman," which are "consumed at one sitting and with the intention of getting drunk." The bad news is that 48 percent of Hoosier college students surveyed reported binge drinking in a two week period, compared to 40 percent nationally. The good news, sort of, is that drinking is leveling off a bit at Indiana University:

But a campus survey of 1,000 students released on Friday found 38 percent reported binge drinking at least once a week in 2009, down 12 percent from last year.

[. . .]

"We're bucking the national trend," said administrator Dee Owens, citing the most recent National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism report, which showed a steady rise in the rate of collegiate binge drinking.

That's really not much trend-bucking, is it, to be at "only" 38 percent, down 2 percent from the national average? That's looking for the tiniest silver lining in the biggest, darkest cloud. On the other hand, drunken driving by students is down 41 percent, and IU no longer tops the unofficial list of "party" schools as it did in 2002.

Comments

Bob G.
Mon, 11/16/2009 - 11:52am

Leo:
So, if a person downs ONE drink an hour over FIVE hours (five drinks total at one sitting)...that's considered a bonifide "binge"?
But let's not forget that SMOKING is (again) on the RISE.
(who'da thunk it?)

tim zank
Mon, 11/16/2009 - 3:00pm

College kids drinking to get drunk? Who'd a thunk it?

This just in: Water is found to be "wet".

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