The National Institutes of Medicine finds 90 percent of alcohol consumption by youths under 21 occurs while binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as five standard drinks of alcohol for a male or four standard drinks for a female.
A standard drink contains about one-half ounce of pure alcohol, generally the amount found in 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 1/2 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.
Since increasing the minimum legal drinking age to 21, progress has been made in reducing binge drinking among 18- to 20-year-old non-students. Collegians, however, are going in the opposite direction according to a Washington University study. More like "extreme drinking" competitors, 45 percent of collegiate drinkers are binge drinkers, says The National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
Studies find binging students are more likely to suffer a wide range of negative consequences, including permanent health damage. Once considered a sign of advanced alcoholism, the American Academy of Pediatrics reports that 15 percent of teens have experienced alcohol blackouts from drinking. The Center for Science in the Public Interest reports that annually more than 30,000 college students require medical treatment for alcohol overdose.
NIAAA reports nearly 700,000 are assaulted by another drinking student, and 100,000 sexual assaults are linked to college drinking. Drunken driving among this group is rising, and as many as 300,000 of today's students will eventually die from alcohol-related causes.
Graham Spanier, president of Penn State University, said, "We cannot close our eyes to the reality that students who are abusers of alcohol are sacrificing their own potential."
In a sad generational commentary, sophomore Meghan Wallace said: "It's kind of a group thing. At some point, you either are drunk or pretend to be drunk to fit in."
Binge drinkers often drink far in excess of the 5/4 drink measure. The Centers for Disease Control reports the average 18- to 24-year-old binger consumes 9.8 drinks per binge.
Sam (short for Samantha) Spady was a former student at Colorado State University. During the first week of her sophomore year, this super-achiever drank herself to death. At death, her blood alcohol concentration was .41. Investigators estimate she downed more than 40 drinks during the last night of her life.
"If parents, college administrators and other role models for youths and young adults do not heighten their efforts to curb binge drinking on campus, my peers will undoubtedly establish a name for themselves as the 'wasted generation,' " said University of Connecticut student Meredith Grahwehr.
To reverse this trend, researchers recommend environmental change -- among other things, stronger enforcement of underage drinking laws, increased alcohol taxes, reducing access to alcohol, and enhanced treatment and prevention efforts.
Though a problem of UNC culture, this is, also, a problem of Chapel Hill culture. The university can't solve this problem alone or without significant town environmental change.
What are elected leaders in Chapel Hill doing to prevent underage drinking?
Ronald E. Bogle is a retired Superior Court judge and works with the Coalition for Alcohol and Drug Free Teenagers.
