In contrast, BGSU's two-step program, which has been operating on a small scale for the past two years, focuses on small groups of students who are at high risk for binge drinking. Those groups include freshmen, athletes and members of fraternities and sororities. Binge drinking is defined as the consumption of five or more drinks at a time by a male and four or more drinks by a female. In an initial session, a small group of students is asked to complete a survey about how much alcohol they consume and how much they think other students, who are like them, drink. After the survey answers have been tabulated, a second meeting is held to discuss the results.
Freshmen come to the campus thinking that all students drink to excess every weekend.
Early indications are that the theory is on target. Since the program began two years ago, the rate of binge drinking on the Bowling Green campus has dropped 2.5 percent, while binge drinking rates nationwide have actually increased more than 4 percent during those same two years. Rentner is quick to point out that she and her program cannot take full credit for all the improvements because the program is part of a comprehensive plan at BGSU to curb binge drinking. All of the University's alcohol prevention programs are coordinated through the Wellness Connection, which is under the direction of Christine Hageman. While part of a comprehensive approach, follow-up studies indicate the program is having an impact.