Dying to Drink: Confronting Binge Drinking on College Campuses.HENRY WECHSLER Henry Wechsler was a faculty member at the School of Public Health at Harvard University. Wechsler is best known for his studies of drinking by college students and for popularizing the term “binge drinking” to refer to the consumption of four alcoholic drinks by AND BERNICE WUETHRICH In the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , two out of every five college students regularly binge drink. That's defined as at least four and five drinks in a row, respectively, for women and men. There are approximately 1,400 deaths associated with this behavior annually, in addition to at least half a million unintentional injuries. In 1993, Harvard University researcher Wechsler conducted the first national survey of college binge drinking binge drinking An early phase of chronic alcoholism, characterized by episodic 'flirtation' with the bottle by binges of drinking to the point of stupor, followed by periods of abstinence; BD is accompanied by alcoholic ketoacidosis–accelerated lipolysis and , which he's updated three times since then. Teaming with science-writer Wuethrich he reveals some startling star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. findings that point to binge drinking as the leading health issue on college campuses. Considering that students spend $5.5 billion a year on alcohol--more than they spend on schoolbooks and all other drinks combined--the problems are not so surprising. The authors reveal how a disproportionate number of assaults and rapes are linked to this behavior and examine how drinking is entrenched en·trench also in·trench v. en·trenched, en·trench·ing, en·trench·es v.tr. 1. To provide with a trench, especially for the purpose of fortifying or defending. 2. in college life. Wuethrich and Wechsler offer several suggestions for what can be done by students, college administrators, and parents to curb the college-campus drinking problem. Rodale Pr 2002, 322 p,, hardcover, $24.95. |
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