Alcohol report urges 'social norming'

A state study gauging the dangers of underage and high risk drinking makes a number of recommendations to state universities to curtail alcohol abuse on campus. The recommendations include stricter enforcement of alcohol policies, more alternatives to drinking and a process called "social norming."\nConducted by the Governor's Commission for a Drug-Free Indiana and the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, the report identifies the role universities play in contributing to underage and excessive drinking, citing the social interaction between students underage and older than 21 as a major factor. It also adds that university officials are partly to blame by taking a relaxed stance toward alcohol in order to promote admissions numbers and retention rates. \nThe report is based on a series of four open forums held at IU, Purdue, Ball State and Notre Dame during August. A diverse audience of community members, students, administrators, retailers and parents were invited to attend each forum to discuss the attitudes that lead to drinking and to propose aggressive solutions to the problem.\nThe study emphasized 12 points universities on which should focus to discourage alcohol consumption. Among the most effective deterrents is an initiative called "social norming," the process of teaching students that not everyone drinks and even less drink to excess, according to the report. A campaign to spread the message would be valuable in preventing non-drinkers from starting, according to the report.\nWhile the report stresses the urgency of action by universities, it also acknowledges the problem is not a new one and is deeply rooted in college life as a sort of coming-of-age ritual.\nFor more information about the state's recommendations and IU's response, read tomorrow's IDS.