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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Recent Brawls Prompt Review On Drinking

Associated Press

After two recent drunken brawls near the University of Oregon campus, officials and community members are looking for ways to curb student alcohol abuse.

“I would like to see more enforcement and additional officers available,” Eugene police Sgt. Dave Poppe said. “The real problem is we have minimal resources.”

Others wonder if that will work with younger college-age students, who often try to assert their independence.

Twice last month police used tear gas to break up hundreds of bottle-throwing youths in melees that began with parties near the campus.

Not all of the participants were students.

University officials say there isn’t much they can do because most of the incidents are off-campus, where university authority is limited. Instead, they focus on education.

Linda Devine, UO assistant dean of student life, said research shows students often think alcohol use among their peers is much higher than it actually is. Among 1,000 students surveyed at UO last winter, 52 percent reported using alcohol at least once a week. But when asked to estimate the level of drinking by their peers, the students estimated the rate at 96 percent.

Research by Michael Haines at Northern Illinois University indicates that showing students that heavy drinking is not the norm on campus can help lower the rate of alcohol abuse.

UO officials took out ads in a campus newspaper last year to publicize accurate figures for student drinking.

Given the recent incidents, Devine said she’s not sure the information had much effect. Nevertheless, she said UO officials plan to step up the campaign.

One prominent researcher who has studied alcohol abuse on campuses says some of the strategies being considered, including cracking down on binge drinking, might be counterproductive.

Alan Marlatt, a professor of psychology and director of the Addictive Behavior Research Center at the University of Washington, said some of the regulations against drinking have simply driven it underground.

Campus and law enforcement officials say they’ve encountered an increasing number of young people with more aggressive or confrontational attitudes. Add alcohol, and the situation can get ugly.

So far this school year, Eugene police estimate that there have been close to 200 alcohol-related arrests in the campus area.