Up for discussion: Making student parties safer

Not all college students admit to their parents that they attend or host parties, but more than half of UC Davis students do. The good news is that those parties are becoming safer and fewer students are drinking to excess.

During the past three years, UC Davis has implemented a Safe Party Initiative to reduce high-risk drinking and its consequences. Michelle Johnston, health promotion supervisor with Student Health Services, said the preliminary findings indicate that the intervention efforts have, in fact, lowered the number of students who drink to the point of intoxication.

Program reduces high-risk drinking

The Safe Party Initiative was supported by a five-year, $6.9 million grant to the Prevention Research Center in Berkeley from the National Institute for Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA). UC Davis was one of 14 UC and California State University campuses that participated in the study; half of the campuses served as intervention sites and half served as control or comparison sites.

Results from the overall study translate into approximately 900 fewer UC Davis students drinking to intoxication during fall quarter at off-campus parties than a comparison campus. Previous data showed that off-campus parties are where the majority of alcohol-related problems occur. These problems include alcohol poisoning, unsafe sex, sexual assaults, other aggressive behavior and drunk driving. An additional 600 fewer students drank to excess at bars or restaurants at each intervention campus in comparison to the other campuses.

“We are very pleased with the project results,” Johnston said. “It has been great to see the rate of alcohol consumption and drunkenness decrease each year since the study began. UC Davis students and Davis community members are working together to help students enjoy their college experience without experiencing the negative consequences that can result from high-risk drinking.”

Resources for safer parties

Johnston encourages students to check out the Safe Party Web site, hosted by Student Health Services. It offers tips and strategies for party hosts and their guests, as well as “mocktail” recipes for non-alcoholic drinks, warning signs of alcohol poisoning, lists of UC Davis policies, Davis city ordinances, state and federal laws related to drugs and alcohol, law enforcement contact information and safe transportation options.

Students can also compare their alcohol use to other UC Davis students by completing e-CHUG, an online survey also available on the Web site. Completion certificates are redeemable for a $5 gift certificate at Redrum Burger in Davis.