2008 Woodie Awards
Students hospitalized for drinking irresponsibly despite Party Right campaign efforts
John DeBruicker
Issue date: 3/16/07 Section: News & Features
- Page 1 of 3 next >
The Garrison Foster Health Center admitted nine students last weekend for alcohol related causes, seven of which were ambulanced to the emergency room at Thayer Hospital on North Street. Despite numerous efforts on campus to promote safe and responsible drinking, the inebriated students were brought to the health center by campus Security officers rather than their friends.
Medical Director of the College Dr. Paul Berkner said that this past weekend was "one of the highest we've had in a while" in terms of inebriated students in the Health Center. The policy is that if students record a blood-alcohol level of .2 or above (.08 being legally drunk), they are taken to the ER. Since January, three students have now required intubation, a process in which a tube is inserted into the trachea to assist breathing, because they were drunk to the point where they could have experienced respiratory failure. Some students sent to the hospital last weekend registered blood alcohol levels that can be fatal.
"As we're wandering into conversations about champagne steps and about responsible drinking in common spaces in residence halls, I'm anxious to broaden the conversation," said Jim Terhune, vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students. Senior class representatives are currently working to find a way for seniors to monitor themselves and celebrate their last week of classes in a responsible manner to avoid the recent custom drinking excessively on the Miller Library steps. "We need to see people taking responsibility for what's going on here and at the very least looking after our peers." His concern is not just with excessive drinking but with the fact that students were found by security officers on bathroom floors rather than escorted by a friend to the Health Center. "If we do at least know that people are taking appropriate steps to get themselves and their peers help, that's a little reassuring. What's disconcerting in these cases is that people aren't getting them help." In one situation this weekend, a security guard spotted a visibly drunk student being taken home by a friend and insisted on taking him to the Health Center rather than back home.
Medical Director of the College Dr. Paul Berkner said that this past weekend was "one of the highest we've had in a while" in terms of inebriated students in the Health Center. The policy is that if students record a blood-alcohol level of .2 or above (.08 being legally drunk), they are taken to the ER. Since January, three students have now required intubation, a process in which a tube is inserted into the trachea to assist breathing, because they were drunk to the point where they could have experienced respiratory failure. Some students sent to the hospital last weekend registered blood alcohol levels that can be fatal.
"As we're wandering into conversations about champagne steps and about responsible drinking in common spaces in residence halls, I'm anxious to broaden the conversation," said Jim Terhune, vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students. Senior class representatives are currently working to find a way for seniors to monitor themselves and celebrate their last week of classes in a responsible manner to avoid the recent custom drinking excessively on the Miller Library steps. "We need to see people taking responsibility for what's going on here and at the very least looking after our peers." His concern is not just with excessive drinking but with the fact that students were found by security officers on bathroom floors rather than escorted by a friend to the Health Center. "If we do at least know that people are taking appropriate steps to get themselves and their peers help, that's a little reassuring. What's disconcerting in these cases is that people aren't getting them help." In one situation this weekend, a security guard spotted a visibly drunk student being taken home by a friend and insisted on taking him to the Health Center rather than back home.
Be the first to comment on this story