Editorial: Improving campus dialogue on alcohol safety

Excessive alcohol use has become fairly prevalent on college campuses, with many universities instituting programs that encourage responsible drinking habits and highlight student resources to combat the issue. While Tufts has taken steps to promote safe social environments, there are noticeable gaps in students' education on such a pervasive issue. Looking at the current initiatives here at Tufts, there is certainly room to expand and enhance the campus dialogue on safe alcohol use.

Tufts' primary strategy to combat the dangers of alcohol is encouraging students to educate their peers on alcohol safety. Dean of Student Affairs Mary Pat McMahon stressed the importance of working with resident assistants, pre-orientation leaders and other upperclassmen to serve as positive influences for their fellow students; her hope is that older students will promote healthy lifestyles to their younger classmates.

"This helps upperclassmen student leaders understand their role and responsibility on campus," she said. 

The administration also highlights that existing policies are intended to alleviate any hesitation or fear of seeking help when students find themselves in dangerous alcohol-related situations. The Amnesty Policy and the Good Samaritan Policy, which together allow students to seek medical assistance for themselves and others without facing disciplinary action for substance use, are two excellent practices.

While these policies are advertised to first-years, students receive little formal education on alcohol safety during their first weeks at Tufts other than the required completion of the online program, AlcoholEdu. The university does, however, require all first-years to attend mandatory orientation presentations on counseling and mental health services, public safety resources, cultural diversity, academic integrity and developing a healthy climate around sex. With so many important and prevalent issues being addressed, alcohol safety seems like a clear addition to be included on the list of mandatory orientation programming. Students could greatly benefit from pre-emptive alcohol education, either within the format of a formal presentation or smaller discussion groups. These informative discussions could improve the overall dialogue surrounding alcohol safety, teach students how to avoid dangerous levels of intoxication and provide instruction on helping others in dangerous situations. Standardized online programs that exclude face-to-face discussion, Tufts-specific information and the opportunity to ask questions do not provide first-years with sufficient education on the dangers of alcohol.

However, the conversation should not only be centered around first-year students. Tufts provides almost no formal or required discussion as students get older, when drinking often becomes even more prevalent in their social lives. McMahon understands the need to extend this dialogue past students' first week on campus. 

"My goal is to build in more continuous education," she said. "Students get a lot of information during orientation, but when will they have more questions?"

While there are programs in place that are meant to educate students of all ages, some of them are not entirely transparent in dealing with the drinking culture on campus. As the Daily reported in 2014, Tufts began the campaign "We Are Tufts" largely to acknowledge the considerable presence of responsible drinking at Tufts. According to the article, "the campaign posters around campus tote statistics that 93 percent of students do not let alcohol affect their academics, as well as that the majority of Tufts students limit their alcohol intake or choose not to drink." These posters are still present on campus today, and they communicate a vague, sugar-coated message about campus drinking culture. While the facts may be accurate, the campaign fails to address issues of alcohol safety that are nonetheless prevalent at Tufts, no matter how responsible our students are on the whole. The university acknowledged in its most recent public safety report that nationwide, 1,400 students died from alcohol-related injuries last year, 2.1 million drove under the influence of alcohol and 150,000 will likely go on to develop alcohol-related health problems. Tufts students are by no means exempt from these statistics.

Downplaying Tufts' drinking culture does not make it safer; in fact, it could do the opposite. Instead of boasting about student responsibility, the university should instead direct resources toward making Tufts a safer place for student who may find themselves in a dangerous alcohol-related situation at some point during their college careers. Tufts should be doing its part in helping students navigate campus drinking as safely as possible. By increasing programming during orientation, offering more resources for upperclassmen and replacing "downplaying" dialogue with more constructive information, the university could greatly improve its approach to alcohol safety at Tufts.