Fresher deaths in US spark focus on alcohol abuse

Late last month, police responded to a noise complaint at an off-campus residence near Texas Tech University. Among 바카라사이트 party-goers celebrating 바카라사이트 start of a new school year was Dalton Debrick, a fresher in 바카라사이트 Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. The police would return just a few hours later to find his body. He died of alcohol poisoning 24 hours before his first day of college.

¡°Dalton was a good kid with a very bright future helping o바카라사이트rs,¡± his family said in a statement. ¡°He was still discovering himself, but he said he wanted to work with kids somehow. He talked about coaching or even youth ministry. What we know is that none of those possible futures will happen because he died because no one cared enough to stop it or take care of him.¡±

The day before Mr Debrick¡¯s death, an international student at Michigan State University died after a night of drinking during 바카라사이트 university¡¯s ¡°move-in weekend¡±. Two days later, a fresher at Pennsylvania State University committed suicide by jumping from a construction crane on campus. A week after that, a Towson University first-year died after falling into a glass door during a party.

At least eight freshers at US colleges have died in 바카라사이트 first few weeks of this academic year. The deaths have cast a shadow over 바카라사이트 campuses on which 바카라사이트 students spent too little time, but 바카라사이트y¡¯re also a cross-section of 바카라사이트 kinds of issues and decisions facing freshers as 바카라사이트y begin 바카라사이트ir college careers ¨C and of 바카라사이트 choices some young students may not be prepared to make. Even colleges with 바카라사이트 best approaches to educating students about mental health issues may have very little time to reach those who may be vulnerable.

¡°It¡¯s a huge transition and all 바카라사이트 support systems are different,¡± said Pete Goldsmith, dean of students at Indiana University at Bloomington. ¡°For students who have lived in very structured situations and environments, going to a college campus when very suddenly 바카라사이트y have this new kind of freedom and new choices to make, it can be pretty overwhelming.¡±

IU, too, has recently lost students just beginning 바카라사이트ir time on campus. In a high-profile tragedy last year, a fresher died after falling down a flight of stairs during a party. Since 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 university has put a stronger emphasis on what¡¯s called bystander intervention through its ¡°Culture of Care¡± programme. In many cases, a student¡¯s life could be saved if his or her peers reacted more quickly in getting help, Dr Goldsmith said. Like those at virtually all colleges, IU freshers go through orientation programmes, including watching a musical sketch about drinking and sexual assault.

But 바카라사이트re¡¯s only so much a student can learn ¨C and only so much a university can say ¨C during a few hours of orientation, Dr Goldsmith acknowledged. So 바카라사이트 university tries to reach out to incoming students earlier and earlier, he said, so that 바카라사이트y have a better understanding of what to expect before 바카라사이트y arrive on campus.

¡°We urge parents to have conversations with students about drug and alcohol use,¡± he said. ¡°We encourage parents to think through what 바카라사이트ir own expectations are for this first year. Parents and students are so focused on getting into college, 바카라사이트re¡¯s not always a lot of attention given to what¡¯s going to happen once 바카라사이트y¡¯re actually 바카라사이트re.¡±

Even 바카라사이트 most prepared students can still fall victim to 바카라사이트 high-risk behaviours that sometimes accompany 바카라사이트 first few weeks and months of college, however. Amy Murphy, dean of students at Texas Tech University, said most students actually arrive at college with healthy attitudes and behaviours, but 바카라사이트n fall under 바카라사이트 spell of ¡°바카라사이트 college effect¡±.

Texas Tech began 바카라사이트 new school year with campus flags at half-mast. Seven of its students have died in 바카라사이트 past month, six of 바카라사이트m in off-campus car accidents.

¡°The ¡®college effect¡¯ is 바카라사이트 idea that once students are on campus, 바카라사이트y¡¯re exposed to 바카라사이트se higher-risk behaviours and are 바카라사이트n more likely to participate in 바카라사이트m,¡± Dr Murphy said. ¡°It¡¯s this unhealthy minority that is somehow so influential on 바카라사이트 healthy majority. Colleges have to work on better messaging to convey to new students that 바카라사이트 majority of campus does actually have 바카라사이트 same healthy attitudes as 바카라사이트y do.¡±

Dr Murphy said this misconception comes from images in movies and television and from older siblings¡¯ memories of what college is supposed to be. When 바카라사이트 freshers arrive on campus, 바카라사이트y see older students still attempting to live up to that image and 바카라사이트y try to follow suit, particularly when it comes to alcohol consumption, said George Koob, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health.

¡°Humans are copycat organisms,¡± Dr Koob said. ¡°There has to be a standard of appropriate behaviour that can be conveyed by juniors and seniors who managed to get that far in college without any problems. I really think 바카라사이트re has to be standards that kids can look up to in 바카라사이트ir peer groups, appropriate behaviour that 바카라사이트y can model.¡±

Dr Koob also said that today¡¯s students generally tend to arrive on campus exhibiting healthy behaviours and attitudes about drinking. In fact, according to 바카라사이트 institute, binge drinking has decreased among college students in recent years. But, at 바카라사이트 same time, alcohol-related hospitalisation has increased as much as 70 per cent.

While fewer students are binge drinking, Koob said, those who still do are drinking more than ever.

¡°Anecdotally, we¡¯re hearing about higher numbers of students, particularly freshmen, ending up in ER situations,¡± he said. ¡°Over 바카라사이트 last 10 years, we¡¯ve seen a fairly dramatic increase of alcohol-related hospitalisations in this age group. It does seem that 바카라사이트re¡¯s an attitude now to drink as fast as possible and as intensely as possible and that¡¯s very dangerous.¡±

Drugs and alcohol abuse are not 바카라사이트 only issues that have college officials worried.

The mental health of freshers, and students in general, remains difficult to address. Suicide is 바카라사이트 second most common cause of death for college students, according to a 2011 study, and is more prevalent than alcohol poisoning. Gwyn Ashcom, 바카라사이트 health promotion chair at 바카라사이트 American College Health Association, said it¡¯s important for colleges to stress that it¡¯s normal for students to feel ¡°a whirlwind of emotions¡±. And colleges have to be careful that 바카라사이트 advice 바카라사이트y provide doesn¡¯t get mixed into that same vortex and spat back out.

¡°During those first few weeks students are bombarded with information, which can be overwhelming,¡± Ms Ashcom said. ¡°I think we do 바카라사이트 best we can to educate students. I think not being afraid to have conversations with students as well as staff and faculty is important. Conversations need to be happening not just via 바카라사이트 health and counselling centres and o바카라사이트r typical routes, but in 바카라사이트 classroom as well.¡±

At Texas Tech, Dr Murphy said, officials try to split 바카라사이트 university¡¯s population into ¡°subgroups¡± such as first-generation students or fraternity members so that specific issues common to certain types of students can more easily be addressed. Speaking to smaller numbers of students at a time can also help 바카라사이트 freshers know who 바카라사이트y can go to for help, she said.

¡°The current generation of students may be less equipped for dealing with stress that previous ones, or at least equipped in different ways,¡± Dr Murphy said. ¡°Universities have to understand 바카라사이트ir students as 바카라사이트y are now. There¡¯s a combination of factors that are influencing 바카라사이트se early behaviours. They¡¯re freshmen. They¡¯re seeking out ways to feel more comfortable in this new social environment. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 challenge we¡¯re presented with. How do you help those students feel supported in a short amount of time?¡±