Area universities say they largely view alcohol as a health problem, aiming to offer help — not punishment — for students who overdrink, even if they are underage. Though local colleges cite dozens of students for violating alcohol policies, it’s rare for a student to be criminally charged.
“We treat intoxication as more of a health issue, as many of our younger students don’t know their limits and overimbibe,” Kevin Hay, the police chief at George Washington University, wrote in an e-mail. “Our goal is to prevent serious physical harm as a result of acute alcohol poisoning.”
And that harm does happen. About 1,700 college students between age 18 and 24 suffer alcohol-related deaths each year, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Experts say drinking can be at the heart of other serious incidents.
“Alcohol and other drug abuse is certainly the largest challenge facing campus communities,” said Daniel Carter, director of public policy for Security on Campus, a college-safety advocacy group. “It permeates everything, from the adverse consequences of the abuse itself, to serious misconduct such as sexual assaults and hazing.”
