The parents of Byung Soo Kim, who died after downing 20 Scotch whisky shots to celebrate his 21st birthday, said they plan to establish a memorial fund to educate international students about substance abuse issues. Students from other countries bring cultural traditions that could clash with the pervasive and socially accepted drinking on college campuses, said Rodolfo Altamirano, director of U-M's International Center. Education targeted to their specific needs would be helpful, he said. U-M should have a different approach for international students. They cannot always be included in the mainstream population.
Cultures look at drinking in many ways.
It is important to know where people are coming from and the interrelated factors that come into play. The need for culturally tailored programs is yet another example of the difficulty universities face in curbing student binge-drinking, which has contributed to the deaths of at least five people since 1998. Besides cultural differences, international students have unique learning styles and possible language barriers that current educational programs may overlook. The word 'excess' may be a terminology that is not clear. It is important to articulate to students in an understandable way.