About 50 college students from Central Washington University had attended a party at the Ellensburg home located 30 minutes from campus after a music event nearby that had featured 20 bands at three venues, according to the Associated Press. When concerned friends removed a female student from the party and drove off to a nearby shopping center, they feared the friend may have been overdosing on an unknown substance and called 911. While investigating the cause of the girl’s overdose, police located the home where the party was taking place and were required to break down the front door after no one responded to their requests. Despite the loud party scene heard by neighbors earlier in the night, police found the house filled with unconscious and semi-unconscious college students both inside and out. Party-goers, mostly college students between the ages of 18 and 21, later reported having only drank an average of 1–2 drinks, yet were found to be highly intoxicated. Some students were passed out, incoherent, or extremely sick, and vomit was found all over the house and lawn. Police reported multiple drug overdoses from an unknown substance—believed to be Rohypnol—that witnesses suspect may have been unwittingly mixed with a bottle of vodka which several party-goers had been sharing. Eleven female students and one male student were transported to the nearby hospital after having overdosed on the substance.

Rohypnol, or ‘roofies,’ is a tasteless, odorless, soluble drug commonly used in sexual assaults and has become known as the ‘date-rape drug.’ Witnesses at the party said that a bottle of vodka was used to make many mixed drinks for the students—mostly female—who became quickly sick after consuming small amounts of alcohol. Many of the female party-goers suddenly become faint or ill, and several began falling about or vomiting around the same time. The students reported that they never intended on becoming that intoxicated, unconscious, or overdosing, and police believed they were victims of a large scheme to render them all defenseless by use of the unknown substance. Party-goers who had brought their own alcoholic beverages or who were not consuming alcohol were unaffected. After treating the victims and locating the host of the party (a CWU freshman), an additional 35 other students were also interviewed by police.

Toxicology tests were done on the twelve patients who experienced overdose; after receiving medical treatment over the weekend, all twelve students were released from the hospital by Sunday. Police have requested an expedited toxicology report from the Washington State Patrol Laboratory; the person(s) responsible for spiking the beverages are still unknown at this time. After conducting a four-hour search of the residence, police were unable to find any illicit substances at the scene. Police later helped transport 27 students back to their dormitories on campus.

One man was found having sex with a semi-unconscious female and was apprehended by police. The woman was later identified as the man’s girlfriend after being treated for overdose at the nearby hospital. The police described the incident as a possible sexual assault that will continue to be investigated, but released the man without any charges at this time.

During the incident, some sober party-goers had attempted to help those who were injured by laying them down on sofas or mattresses, yet no one present had called 911.

CWU officials have issued a statement expressing their grief over the incident, but report that the victims of the crime are now safe. The campus urges all students to protect themselves while partying, such as traveling in groups and refusing open beverages. Campus officials have stated that state law and university policies regarding illegal activities will be enforced on those students responsible. Students involved in the criminal incident will be required to attend a conduct hearing. After official investigation of their actions, CWU may mandate intensive drug and alcohol educational courses, suspension, or expulsion if needed.

Sources: CNN, Women Targeted in Party Overdoses, October 10, 2010

The Associated Press, No Drugs Found at House Where 12 Fell Ill, October 10, 2010

12 Students Were Victims of Drug Assault at College Party is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

In 2002, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) gave colleges detailed advice on how to help prevent college drinking. One of the leading science-based recommendations from the NIAAA was conducting brief interventions for students at an increased risk of problem drinking, but this was adopted only by half of the 351 colleges that were surveyed.

The study’s lead author, Toben Nelson, Sc.D., said that only 33 percent of colleges said they collaborated with nearby communities to implement strategies such as monitoring illegal sales of alcohol, providing training on responsibly serving alcohol, restricting alcohol retail outlets, and addressing students’ access to inexpensive alcohol.

Their study, which will be published in the October issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, also found that about one in five college administrators said they were not familiar with the 2002 NIAAA recommendations. Nelson said their study found that little progress has been made in the implementation of the recommendations in the past eight years, which is unfortunate.

About twelve months ago, University of Minnesota researchers published a study showing that colleges that had been labeled as “party schools” have shown little improvement in lessening problematic drinking among students.

Nelson said that the lack of implementation of the NIAAA guidelines could be due to strained relationships between colleges and nearby communities with regard to alcohol, a lack of resources, and staff members who are either untrained or lack the authority to take the necessary steps to help curb student drinking.

Sources: Join Together, Few Colleges Follow NIAAA Advice to Prevent Student Drinking, July 26, 2010

Science Daily, Little Action on Recommendations Aimed to Curb College Drinking, Researchers Find, July 20, 2010

Little Progress Has Been Made to Curb Drinking Among College Students is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

The BBC reports that the commission said many young people are negatively affected, not by their own drinking choices, but by those of others. Their report identifies a gap in existing research into the impact of passive drinking on young people and adults.

The Youth Commission said adults should be encouraged into alcohol-free lifestyle choices which created a positive leisure time culture. They also said a complete ban of alcohol advertising in public places should be a long-term goal.

Members of the commission questioned their friends and fellow students, as well as talking to the drinks industry and doctors. Their findings will be handed to the minister for public health, Shona Robison, on Tuesday.

Youth Commissioner Ryan Leitch, 22, from Glasgow, said: "We based our recommendations on the evidence we received from alcohol experts and the Scottish people. There isn’t one answer so we have come up with a number of key approaches to improve Scotland’s relationship with alcohol."

Leitch said the Scottish government’s plan to introduce a minimum price for each unit of alcohol in a drink was not the only way of tackling the issue. He said the youth commission supported minimum pricing but a "multi-pronged" approach was need to tackle alcohol abuse.

Public Health Minister Shona Robison said: "Tackling alcohol misuse is a key priority for the Scottish government and we recognize both the need to protect young people from this potential harm and the role they can play in tackling Scotland’s reputation as a nation of heavy drinkers. The Youth Commission on Alcohol has been a unique piece of work, and engaging with these young people will provide further input to our ongoing action."

Young Scots Recommend Ban on Alcohol Advertising is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

"First of all, the adolescent brain is still undergoing several maturational processes that render it more vulnerable to some of the effects of substances," Tapert says. In other words, key areas of the brain are still being developed during the adolescent years, and are more sensitive to the toxic effects of drugs and alcohol.

For the study, published last month in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Tapert looked at 12- to 14-year-olds before they used any alcohol or drugs. Over time, some of the kids started to drink, some rather heavily (consuming four or five drinks per occasion, two or three times a month).

Comparing the young people who drank heavily with those who abstained from drinking, Tapert’s team found that the binge drinkers did worse on thinking and memory tests. There was also a distinct gender difference.

"For girls who had been engaging in heavy drinking during adolescence, it looks like they’re performing more poorly on tests of spatial functioning, which links to mathematics, engineering kinds of functions," Tapert says.

"For boys who engaged in binge drinking during adolescence, we see poor performance on tests of attention — so being able to focus on something that might be somewhat boring, for a sustained period of time," she adds. "The magnitude of the difference is 10 percent. I like to think of it as the difference between an A and a B."

Pediatrician and brain researcher Ron Dahl from the University of Pittsburgh notes that adolescents seem to have a higher tolerance for the negative immediate effects of binge drinking, such as feeling ill and nauseated.

"Which makes it easier to consume higher amounts and enjoy some of the positive aspects," Dahl says. "But, of course, that also creates a liability for the spiral of addiction and binge use of these substances."

He adds that there is a unique feature of the teenage brain that drives much behavior during adolescence: The teen brain is primed and ready for intense, all-consuming learning.

"Becoming passionate about a particular activity, a particular sport, passionate about literature or changing the world or a particular religion" is a normal, predictable part of being a teenager, he says.

"But those same tendencies to explore and try new things and try on new identities may also increase the likelihood of starting on negative pathways," he adds.

Tapert wanted to find out in what way binge drinking affects a teen’s developing brain. So using brain imaging, she focused on the white matter, or nerve tissue, of the brain.

"White matter is very important for the relay of information between brain cells; and we know that it is continuing to develop during adolescence," Tapert says.

She imaged the brains of two groups of high school students: binge drinkers and a matched group of teens with no history of binge drinking. She reports in her recent study a marked difference in the white matter of the binge drinkers.

"They appeared to have a number of little dings throughout their brains’ white matter, indicating poor quality," Tapert says.

And poor quality of the brain’s white matter indicates poor, inefficient communication between brain cells.

"These results were actually surprising to me because the binge drinking kids hadn’t, in fact, engaged in a great deal of binge drinking. They were drinking on average once or twice a month, but when they did drink, it was to a relatively high quantity of at least four or five drinks an occasion," she says.

In another study, Tapert reported abnormal functioning in the hippocampus—a key area for memory formation — in teen binge drinkers. Reflecting their abnormal brain scans, the teen drinkers did more poorly on learning verbal material than their non-drinking counterparts.

What remains unknown, says Tapert, is if the cognitive downward slide in teenage binge drinkers is reversible.

Study Shows that Teen Drinking May Cause Permanent Damage is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Binge drinking has always been associated with males, especially college students in fraternities. Despite this prevailing stereotype, studies have found that an ongoing shift in the gender scale has been moving more towards women when it comes to the overindulgence of alcohol. Is this dangerous activity now being idealized by the female population?

Having drinks at the end of a long work day and unwinding before returning home has been a longstanding tradition for American men. With more women entering the work force, this romanticized pastime has become yet another measurement of gender capacity that women have entered themselves into. Equality for women has become a pillar of civil rights, yet some traditions—such as binge drinking—shouldn’t be matched for a variety of reasons.

Binge drinking for men is considered to be having five to six drinks or more in one sitting, whereas the number goes down to four drinks for women. While binge drinking among all male age groups has generally remained the same or even decreased over the last few decades, female binge drinking has increased across the board, with a 30 percent increase among the most vulnerable age group: college-age women. Because women are physically smaller than men, have a higher percentage of body fat (which cannot dilute alcohol), and have less metabolizing capabilities which work to flush out alcohol from the system, women feel the effects of binge drinking faster and more severely.

Female workers are also now feeling the inclination to drink after work hours. Research shows that women in the positions of the traditional “masculine” professions tend to have higher rates of alcohol use. However, female alcohol abusers as a group have statistically been found to drink the most while home alone. Some stay-at-home moms drink throughout the day, while still managing to perform tasks and tend to their children.

Theories also point to the fact that women are now more able to express themselves publicly, so instances of alcohol use and abuse may be becoming more “mainstream.” With recent headlines pertaining to the tragic consequences of female drinkers (such as when Diane Schuler of New York killed eight people, including herself and her two-year-old daughter, in a drunk-driving crash), this growing cultural practice among women is now receiving media attention and scrutiny.

Why has this trend in female alcohol abusers ascended so drastically over the last few decades? Alcohol consumption has become a more sentimentalized and acceptable social norm in which its dangerous side effects are now glossed over as a necessity for enjoyment and are generally tolerated among society. Yet the facts cannot be denied. Although men statistically begin drinking at an earlier age than women, the effects of drinking take a harder toll on women.

Research has shown that alcohol addiction progresses at a faster rate in women than in men. Women drinkers tend to be heavier drinkers over time, and also develop more health problems and diseases that last throughout adulthood. A woman’s drinking habits have a propensity to correlate with that of their spouse or significant other, despite the physical disproportions. Women who are unemployed abuse alcohol more often than employed females, and women who are divorced, separated, have never been married, or are unmarried and living with a significant other have higher instances of alcohol abuse than married women. Married women, in fact, consume the lowest amount of alcohol among American females. Alcohol use and abuse is most common among women in their early 20s and 30s and this surge in female drinkers has been increasing in all age groups with the exception of women over the age of 65 (who make up less than 10 percent of problem female drinkers).

The number of arrests for driving under the influence has dramatically risen in the female driver population over the last 10 years, escalating to a 29 percent increase. Although men are still arrested for drunk driving much more often than women—a 4 to 1 ratio—the number of male arrests for DUI has actually decreased over the last 10 years, perhaps being supplemented by the female population. Women, it seems, are being treated more equally in the eyes of the law when it comes to protecting the public, thanks to the efforts of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which advocates a no-tolerance policy when it comes to punishing such crimes.

Resources, intervention, and prevention methods were not always available to women before, possibly because alcoholism has traditionally been considered to be a masculine disease. Thanks to an increasing awareness of health concerns pertaining to addiction, more rehabilitation programs and centers that treat both men and women have been established throughout the country in highly accessible regions. The gender ratio of patients entering addiction recovery programs was once a 3 to 1 ratio of men over women. Nowadays, the treatment-seeking population seems to have evened out among the genders.

Binge drinking, alcoholism, and their consequences can affect anyone, regardless of gender, and are serious problems with fatal risks. Now that the gender gap is apparently closing in regard to alcohol abuse, the treatment of substance abuse should be considered and treated equally among all gender and age groups.

Increasing Numbers of Women Turning to Binge Drinking is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

The program also included increased police patrols in neighborhoods that are subject to loud and sometimes dangerous college parties, as well as increased efforts to make off-campus students better neighborhood residents. “If you want to reach students living in the community, you need to work with city agencies and neighborhood associations,” Saltz said.

These efforts also help students understand that they aren’t “living in a bubble” and that they are part of a larger community “with norms and expectations about alcohol abuse and acceptable behavior,” Saltz said.

At Western Washington University, researchers focused on curbing off-campus drinking problems by connecting the college and community. Funds were raised to increase police partrols in neighborhoods where college parties were a problem and to better enforce underage-drinking laws. Efforts to make students aware of their responsibility as residents of the community were also increased. Forums also brought together students, neighborhood residents, and law enforcement to talk about neighborhood issues.

Saltz and his team surveyed students at Western Washington University, another Washington public university that adopted a similar program on its own, and a third campus that served as a comparison site at the beginning of the study and one year later. They found that binge drinking declines at the two intervention universities compared with the control school. Students at the intervention colleges were one-quarter less likely to report heavy drinking in the last two weeks.

“The decline in the frequency of binge drinking is very promising,” Saltz said, noting that off-campus problem drinking will realistically not be eliminated, but that it can “ratcheted down.”

“What we’re all trying to figure out,” Saltz said, “is how to optimally blend all of these efforts to better protect the students’ health and safety.”

Source: Science Daily, Colleges, Communities Combat Off-Campus Student Drinking, June 15, 2009

Colleges Team up with Communities to Reduce Binge Drinking is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment