Overdoing It

It’s no secret that the typical Harvard student is a perfectionist; they study the extra hour, take the extra practice exam, and read the next chapter. Perfectionism extends to Friday nights, as it turns out: This freshman class is more likely to take the next shot of alcohol than ever before, and more Harvard students are identifying themselves as heavy drinkers. According to data released by the Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Services, there was a 43 percent increase in students requesting alcohol-related treatment from University Health Services over the last two years. Additionally, 42 percent of freshmen this year are more likely to "pregame," and 39 percent of freshmen take shots, two behaviors that can lead to over-consumption of alcohol.

Although there is only speculation on the causes of the increase in hospitalizations and drinking behavior, Harvard’s attitude toward alcohol leads to unsafe drinking habits for undergraduates. Often, students feel the need to consume large amounts of alcohol quickly at pregames before going out, as the availability of alcohol at events on campus is scarce. The College maintains a strict policy of prohibiting those under 21 from drinking at parties in upperclass houses. In response, students often flock to unsafe and unmonitored locations to drink, such as final clubs. Instead of acting as though underage drinking does not occur, the College should do its best to foster safe drinking environments for its students.

While Harvard’s policies might not be conducive for safe drinking behavior, the school has indeed created mediums to educate students on safe drinking habits. In 2006, the Drug and Alcohol Peer Advisors program, known as DAPA, was founded with the intention of educating students on safe drinking behavior. While this program was a good step for student safety, Harvard should push for alcohol education on more fronts. Specifically, the College should allow and encourage the plethora of upperclassmen advisors on campus to have an explicit conversation with their advisees about alcohol. These upperclassmen—including Peer Advising Fellows, Freshmen Outdoor Program leaders, Freshmen Urban Program leaders, and student-group comp directors, to name a few—have a close and influential relationship with freshmen, and can model moderate drinking habits, answer difficult questions, and make safe behavior the norm. All of these leaders should be encouraged to remain at parties if they notice advisees drinking there, to help freshmen as best they can.

Alcohol education at Harvard seems to be working to some degree, and the increase in hospitalizations might suggest that students are becoming more conscientious about the health of their peers, and are therefore utilizing UHS services more frequently. This attitude would not be possible without Harvard’s amnesty policy regarding alcohol. Found in the student handbook, the amnesty policy states that any student brought into UHS for alcohol-related illness, along with any students assisting them, will not receive disciplinary action. Because of this, students are less likely to fear punishment, which minimizes alcohol-related injury and death. Thus, Harvard’s amnesty policy deserves praise.

However, while this amnesty policy is effective, the OADS should conduct more research focused on students who repeatedly find themselves in Stillman Infirmary, in order to identify trends and help remedy those situations as best it can.

Ultimately, although Harvard can monitor student-drinking behavior to some degree, the amount each person decides to consume is a choice that lies solely with the individual. The increase in hospitalizations should be a wake up call for students, as well—and encourage undergraduates to take responsibility for any unsafe alcohol choices they decide to make.