Binge Drinking Re-Write

Eight shots of vodka and a solo cup of gin was not enough to keep Chrissy Lovey, a sophomore at Boston University (BU), from trying to swipe into her dorm. However, after an unsuccessful attempt at persuading dorm security of her sobriety, Lovey found herself being placed on an ambulance stretcher, on the way to the hospital.

“I did the whole throw-up-on-a-cop thing and nailed him right in the arm. It was not as nearly as glamorous as it sounds,” Lovey said.

Lovey remembers regaining consciousness in a hospital room, face down, restrained to a bed by her arms and ankles. The nurse told her she had to strap her down because she was “playing hide and seek” throughout the hospital and scaring the patients.

“I’ve never been in trouble, let alone a serious threat to a hospital ward,” said Lovey. “I left with no papers and no dignity.”

Although many students believe that BU turns a blind eye for first offense drinkers who are taken to the hospital, the reality is hospital visits are serious business, with annual hospital visits reaching 250 last year, according to BU Today. Therefore, in an attempt to extend its influence into this Friday night game of flip-cup and prevent, last May BU joined a national organization whose goal is to reduce binge drinking on college campuses, according to the Boston Globe. This organization will perform 18 months of research to find more effect ways to reduce binge drinking.

According to David McBride, director of Student Health Services, most alcohol-related hospital visits occur during the first two months of school since workloads are not heavy and freshmen are getting accustomed to the drinking scene. For the weekend of September 11, 2011, ten BU students were sent to the hospital.

BU does not in fact neglect when a student receives alcohol related medical attention, as even one incident can dramatically change students’ judicial standing. The only mention the BU online Lifebook makes towards the matter is that BU “strongly encourage[s] students to act with their own and others’ health and safety as the primary concern” when medical attention is necessary. It does not state that hospital visits will be neglected, overlooked, or pardoned, as many BU students have come to believe.

“My one incident was my strike one, two and two and a half. I literally live walking on egg shells with the school,” Lovey said.

Another BU student, who asked not to be named, was also taken to the hospital their freshman year. “[Going to the hospital] was an awful experience. They didn’t explain what the procedure was going to be at all. They wouldn’t even give me a glass of water. Having bad judicial standing prevented me from applying to be part of FYStaff [an officer of a summer community service organization] or getting a job on campus. Is that really a constructive punishment?” said the student.

This question of constructive punishment is an issue that the Dartmouth lead initiative Learning Collaborative on High-Risk Drinking will attempt to address. The group will hope to answer “what programs work best, where they work, and why,” according to the group’s website.

“Getting taken to the hospital made things pretty serious, pretty fast. I didn’t think I was drunk enough to get carted away, but I do think it was necessary in order for me to reprioritize my life a bit. It was a good wake up call for me…After my hospital visit, I don’t get as drunk [as I did before],” Lovey said. “All in all, I’m glad it happened. It’s a very fun story.”

Works Cited

“Boston University Dean of Students » University Statement on Illegal Drugs and Alcohol.” Boston University. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. .

“Learning Collaborative on High-Risk Drinking.” NCHIP. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. .

Associated Press. “Dartmouth Binge Drinking Project Adds Partners - Boston.com.” Boston.com - Boston, MA News, Breaking News, Sports, Video. 11 July 2011. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. .

Barlow, Rich. “New Crackdown on Alcohol Abuse | BU Today.” Boston University. 16 Sept. 2011. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. .