October 2006

Briefly speaking: Survey tallies costs of alcohol

Fourth-year student Jackie Kishmirian shows off the online survey on drinking habits. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)

If you drank alcohol in college, chances are you didn't compare the calories in those drinks with what's found in a cheeseburger. A new online survey, e-CHUG, not only helps count the calories in alcohol, but the dollars and dangers of drinking as well.

"People often don't realize how many calories they are drinking or how much money spent on alcohol adds up," says Jackie Kishmirian. She is a fourth-year entomology student from Sebastopol and a student coordinator for the campus's Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment program (ADAPT).

"When students see their drinking in terms of cheeseburgers and money spent, they can relate to that," she says.

For example, e-CHUG estimates that a person drinking four standard alcoholic beverages (12 ounces of beer or four ounces of wine each) a week is eating the equivalent of five cheeseburgers a month. Nutritional differences aside, that still adds up to 1,720 additional calories a month.

E-CHUG also estimates how long a person would need to run at a 10-minute mile pace to burn off those drinks: two hours and 38 minutes. The same person spends approximately $780 a year on alcohol.

Parents can take survey

The survey, which is part of a larger effort to reduce high-risk drinking among UC Davis students, isn't limited to them, says Stephanie Lake, program coordinator for ADAPT.

"Parents can take this survey to open conversation on an often difficult subject," she says. "They may have learned lessons about alcohol use in college to share with their student."

Even students who don't drink can gain information by taking the five-minute survey, Lake says. The e-CHUG assessment at the conclusion of the survey provides a comparison to national statistics on college drinking habits as well as data from UC Davis. Students can see how their habits compare to their peers.

Originally created by two professors at San Diego State University, e-CHUG can be taken numerous times a year to re-evaluate alcohol use. Participants receive a login identification with their first survey that can be used to track changes in drinking habits. Personal assessments also include information about various campus and community resources if a student identifies a drinking problem and wants to seek help.

After completing the survey, students can print out a certificate of completion for a 25 percent discount on the hugely popular Safe Party t-shirt available at the Health Education & Promotion office on campus.

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