According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the number of students that consumed alcohol within the past year has fallen consistently during the 10-year period between 1985 and 1995, from 92 percent to 83.2 percent. The percentage of binge drinkers has fallen as well, from 40 percent of college students in 1994 to 38 percent now. But the falling numbers don't hide the fact that an overwhelming majority of underage college students drink, and that the number of binge drinkers remains close to half of the entire college student population. And the deaths continue. Universities therefore are faced with a problem whose importance does not decrease in proportion with falling statistics.
Some experts point to societal factors to help explain the discrepancy.
It's the environment. Factors including the age of the university, the percentage of students who participate in fraternities and sororities and the quality of athletic programs play a large hand in determining the extent of drinking problems at a university, he said. This culture could explain why the University continues to deal with alcohol-related student problems in the face of a prevention program Anderson currently ranks among the country's top 12. Among its prevention programs, the University has developed a peer-counseling program for athletes that has been emulated by colleges across the country. Aaron Laushway said the programs focus on educating students about healthy lifestyles.