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Susan Crowley, director of an alcohol abuse prevention program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said even though the Madison campus has not solved all its alcohol-related problems, it has reduced the rate of binge drinking on campus from 67 percent in 1999 to 59 percent this year.
The national rate is 44 percent this year, so there is still work to be done, she said.
UW-Madison is one of 10 U.S. campuses that received a 10-year grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to change the campus and community culture and reduce the consequences of high-risk drinking.
The grant is now in its eighth year, and Crowley admits the coalition has had its share of successes and failures.
"We're all looking for solutions and strategies," she said. "There isn't one, but there are some that are promising."
Crowley said the first step was to get stakeholders to define the problem. The group decided to prevent the negative consequences of binge drinking (like sexual assault and property damage) instead of addressing other issues like underage drinking.
One mistake the campus made initially was depending on the community to provide social alternatives to drinking, she said. That has since changed, although the degree of success is varied: keeping campus recreational facilities open late didn't interest students, but subsidizing live music at bars that agreed to go alcohol-free for the night did.
Crowley said it's important stakeholders are true to their message and are consistent. If only taverns are targeted for change, the students have more house parties. If residence halls ignore rules, the drinking moves there.
Crowley said the city of Madison has passed a keg registration ordinance as a result of the coalition, and is discussing whether to allow late night drink specials in bars. The campus has since tightened its alcohol policies, and students have written and distributed a guide on safe house parties.
She said balancing enforcement, education and policy is the key to success.
"It wasn't real easy, but I would say eight years later, we do have a really strong campus/community coalition," she said.
Lora Gofus, a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student who was one of about 150 people who attended Crowley's morning presentation on campus, said she agrees college campuses need to have a consistent message.
Gofus attended a university in Minnesota last year, and said drinking was "very prevalent" in her residence hall even though it was supposed to be alcohol free. Gofus said she suspects some of the same things happen at UW-L.
Gofus said there is no shortage of La Crosse taverns offering specials to get students to drink downtown. She said she would support a university effort to distribute information about house parties.
"I think the idea of the safe party guide is a good idea," she said. "It would give people information and educate them on how to keep it safe."
Anastasia Mercer can be reached at (608) 791-8256 or smercer@lacrossetribune.com.
