URI’s Common Ground releases survey showing firm student support for
stricter alcohol control policies and enforcement
Media Contact: Jhodi
Redlich, 401-874-4500
Overwhelming endorsement for tougher approach to
drinking and driving surprises research team
KINGSTON, R.I. -- September 14, 2005 -- University of Rhode Island students want
campus and local authorities to increase enforcement efforts and develop new
programs to address the problem of drinking and driving, according to a new
survey released recently by Common Ground, a university-based substance abuse
prevention program. Alcohol-impaired driving is the leading cause of death among
U.S. college students.
“Our students have given us a clear message,” said URI President Robert L.
Carothers. “They care about student health and safety every bit as much as
university officials do.” Carothers expressed his satisfaction with the
results of the survey. “URI students are serious about their education, and
they want us to continue providing a campus and community environment that will
help them achieve their personal goals.”
The telephone survey was conducted one year ago, with 511 randomly selected URI
undergraduates responding to questions about their drinking; 82 percent of the
students contacted agreed to participate.
Several policy and enforcement strategies were favored by a clear majority of
the survey respondents:
• Increasing the availability of alternative transportation in town, including
cabs, buses, and safe ride programs, by 93.9 percent
• Increasing the use of designated driver programs, by 88.5 percent
• Increasing enforcement of drinking and driving laws, by 83.3 percent
• Training bartenders to cut off intoxicated patrons, by 82.7 percent
• Requiring door personnel and bartenders to be at least 21 years of age, by
61.3 percent
Two additional policies received near-majority support: holding hosts
responsible for problems arising from alcohol use, by 49.3 percent; and applying
stricter penalties for the use of false IDs, by 45.4 percent.
“We have known for a long time that most URI students use alcohol
responsibly,” said Associate Professor Mark Wood of the Psychology Department,
principal investigator for the survey, “but the level of their support for
tougher action against drinking and driving still took us by surprise.” Wood
directs “Environmental Methods for Reducing College Drinking,” a five-year,
$3.5 million study funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism (NIAAA).
“We also know that Rhode Island as a whole has among the worst drunk driving
statistics in the U.S. It’s a big problem, and that’s why URI students
support tougher enforcement of the state’s drinking and driving laws,” Wood
added.
Dean of Students Fran Cohen and Wood also announced the launch of RhodeMap
to Safety, a new campaign to reduce underage alcohol consumption, excessive
drinking, and alcohol-impaired driving among URI students. The campaign begins
this fall and will focus on making URI undergraduates more aware of existing URI
rules, state laws governing drunken driving, and current enforcement efforts
both on campus and in nearby towns.
“The new campaign’s overriding goal is to provide for the well-being of URI
students by creating a safe and healthy campus,” said Cohen, who also directs
Common Ground, URI’s NIAAA-funded project that supports ongoing prevention
work with the Town of Narragansett and on-campus Greek coalitions.
The University of Rhode Island is known as a leader in national efforts to
reduce underage alcohol consumption, excessive drinking, and alcohol-impaired
driving among college students. In 2002, President Carothers completed three
years of service on NIAAA’s Committee on Campus Drinking, which culminated
with the publication of a research agenda for the nation. In 2004, Carothers
received a College Leadership Award from the Center for College Health and
Safety to recognize URI’s "no tolerance" policy toward violence and
drug and alcohol abuse.
Click here for more about the RhodeMap
to Safety campaign.