Study shows alcohol promotions spur alcohol sales and binge drinking

A study released Friday by Harvard School of Public Health said lower-priced beer and alcohol near college campuses is linked to higher rates of heavy drinking among students.\nThe study attributed the availability of large volumes of alcohol, such as 30-can cases of beer and kegs, low sale prices and frequent advertising at local establishments to the rates of binge drinking around college campuses.\nOver 500 IU-Bloomington students participated in the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey in April 2002. The results showed 54% of student respondents said they have engaged in binge drinking in the last two weeks. Binge drinking is defined as the consumption of an average of five drinks in one sitting. The national average is 44%. \nDean of Students Richard McKaig attributed the campus's average to the types of students who attend IU.\n"It's true the Midwest is higher in binge drinking rates than the Southeast or Southwest. Only the Northeast is higher," he said. "The numbers are mostly reflective of the kind of students who attend IU, because they come from the East and Midwest. We might be on par with our true peers, but are indeed above the average."\nAccording to the Harvard study, alcohol specials, promotions and advertisements were prevalent in alcohol retailers near campuses, and three-fourths of establishments that served alcohol for in-house consumption close to campuses had weekend drink specials. Of the establishments that sold alcohol for off-premise consumption, 60% provided at least one type of beer promotion. The study found that the lower the price of beer in the surrounding community, the higher the rate of binge drinking at the college.\nCourtney Hall, Beer Manager at Big Red Liquors, 418 N. College Ave., said Big Red's sales go up every time a product's price is slashed.\n"When we run specials, quantity sold goes up. It happens all the time," Hall said. "Every month we have program specials where we try to give customers lower-priced products that are just as good."\nThe National Research Council and Institute of Medicine released recommendations on September 9 on revising the marketing and promoting of alcohol in formats with sizeable allure to the underage market. \nThe Council's main recommendation for alcohol advertising and commercial media is to "refrain from marketing practices that have substantial underage appeal and should take reasonable precautions in the time, place and manner of placement and promotion to reduce youthful exposure to other alcohol advertising and marketing activity."\nIU has taken a different approach to binge drinking by providing enforcement, education and alternative sources of activities without alcohol around campus.\n"The programs collectively address problems of alcohol use on campus, but we're not addressing a solution," McKaig said. "But hopefully, we're making a difference by showing everyone not all students binge drink and they can be responsible in their use of alcohol."\n-- Contact staff writer Julia Blanford at jblanford@indiana.edu.