Alcohol offense more than slap on wrist

“It won’t happen to me.”

That’s what many students think about alcohol related incidents, says Darcy Brodmerkel, Director of Student Activities and Substance Abuse Specialist. But according to a pamphlet from The Positive Line, more than 1,400 college students die each year in alcohol related incidents. More than 70,000 college-aged students are raped or sexually assault as a result of alcohol each year, and more than 600,000 students are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.

Incidents

MU students were involved in three alcohol-related incidents during the second half of November

On November 15, a student consumed too much alcohol--so much that he had to be rushed to the hospital. This student faces charges.

Nearly 20 MU students face citations or liquor code violations after police discovered a drinking party on Claude Street in Dallas Township on Nov. 23. Police found the party after they responded to a complaint about a fight going on outside the home. Police say there was no fight, but they found at least 50 people inside the home, and 24 were under legal drinking age.

On Nov. 22, six underage students in McHale hall were found intoxicated. They face disciplinary action and must attend on campus education programs.

“Once it happens, you can’t go backwards,” said Dallas Township Police Chief Robert Jolley.

Consequences

According to a Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Alcohol Education booklet, students can face serious consequences from liquor law violations. Students can be denied a license to practice a chosen profession, face a criminal record, lose a driver’s license, pay fines or spend time in jail.

“We’ve had students who had to wait a year and complete ARD before taking the board [exam],” said Kit Foley, Dean of Students. The Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition (ARD) is a statewide alcohol education program.

Driving under the influence, or DUI, is an offense that can end a student’s career before it starts. To be found guilty of driving under the influence, the blood alcohol content must be .08 percent if the person is 21 or older. If the person is underage, the blood alcohol content only needs to be .02 percent to face a DUI charge.

Alcohol-related incidents, especially DUI, can lead to a criminal record, and that can prevent a student from getting a job, especially if the company performs criminal background checks. Some professional licensing groups have ethical standards that will not allow a student to receive his or her license if he or she has a liquor violation on record. This can affect all students in any education, law enforcement or health profession, including psychology.

The PLCB says alcohol offenses can also empty your wallet. Fines begin at $300 for minor offenses, and more serious offenses, like DUIs, can cost up to $10,000.

Jolley says it affects car insurance too, because once someone is charged with DUI, insurance companies don’t want to insure him or her.

Still a problem

With all the penalties involved, students still drink, making alcohol abuse the number one problem on college campuses, according to Brodmerkel.

She says some students believe drinking is a right of passage when they enter college. “Some think it may be fun [to be intoxicated], but what happens when people do get intoxicated, and it’s not fun anymore? People are laughing at them and not with them.”

Brodmerkel says it’s a question of when the laughter stops, and usually it’s when something bad happens.

“[For the] majority of incidents on campus, alcohol is present, whether it’s vandalism [or] sex assault,” says Foley. She says nine out of 10 times, one or both parties are under a chemical influence.

Even though alcohol is a depressant, Jolley says it can act as an amplifier. For example, if someone has a violent temper, the alcohol can amplify those tendencies.

“That impacts our community,” says Foley. That’s why the university offers programs to raise student’s awareness.

“I try to talk to students about this kind of stuff,” says Foley.

Alcohol Education

Brodmerkel says college students spend more money on booze than books. “Alcohol is not necessarily the problem. It’s the decisions students make around alcohol.”

At Misericordia, the emphasis is on education so students can make better decisions. “Some schools just give them [students] a fine, and send them on their way,” says Brodmerkel.

Alcohol education programs are available on campus, and this year, incoming freshman went through a new program called AlcoholEdu.

Freshmen completed this educational awareness program in two parts. A link to the program is available on the e-MU portal.

Brodmerkel says she never tells students they can’t or shouldn’t drink, but she supports the law and believes student must be responsible. “Everything is great in moderation,” she says.

Foley says what happens is up to the students. “You need to look at what you’re doing, and the choices you’re making.”

Jolley suggests that this is a situation in which students should stay within their comfort zones and take responsibility. “You have to make decisions for yourself.”

Alternatives

Brodmerkel says there are other activities for students instead of drinking. Student Activities offers a number of events and outings for students to enjoy, and a shuttle is available to take students off-campus.

Brodmerkel says students should look at the big picture – that is how decisions affect life long term. “What they do today can affect them tomorrow,” she says.

“Every decision has a consequence,” Foley says.