Postcards make students
aware of drinking actions
 By
Jeff Cantwell
Staff Writer
Someone turning 21 this year might find something
unexpected in her mailbox on her birthday — a birthday card that
requests responsible celebration.
B.R.A.D 21 was founded by the friends and family
of Bradly McCue, a Michigan State student who died after drinking 24
shots on his 21st birthday.
Purdue is one of 19 universities sponsoring the
program aimed at lowering deaths because of binge drinking. Purdue picked
it up last year with the help of the Student Wellness Center. This year
the Student Government is co-sponsoring B.R.A.D to help get it to more
students. Over 4,000 students on campus received the card, hand-signed
by a McCue family member, last year.
According to an online survey last spring, 20 percent
of Purdue students drank fewer drinks on their 21st birthday because
of the card.
Tammy Loew, the alcohol risk reduction coordinator
at Purdue's Student Wellness office, thought this was proof that the
program is getting through to students.
"From a prevention standpoint, this was a major
success," said Loew. "We were all very excited about the survey's results."
According to a national study performed by Harvard
University, binge drinking consists of consuming five or more beers
in a row for men and four for women.
Loew agrees with this statement but likes to think
in a broader sense about Purdue.
"A 250-pound man might not be affected by five
beers," said Loew. "We use the term high-risk drinking because it applies
to everyone."
Turning 21 is not the only reason that students
participate in high risk drinking; many do this when they play some
of the drinking games that are popular on this campus and those around
the country.
Loew cautions about more serious issues involved
with drinking games.
"That kind of high risk drinking, with kids chugging
beer that fast, often results in alcohol poisoning," said Loew.
Ben Cortez, a senior in the School of Management,
doesn't play drinking games because he doesn't feel the need to drink
at other peoples' paces.
"Drinking games are just an extension of peer pressure,"
said Cortez. "A lot of kids' first college experiences are drinking
games, so that’s what they think drinking is."
Loew agrees that peer pressure might be too much
for a young student trying to fit in.
Kelly House, a senior in the School of Technology,
thinks that how students drink, binge or otherwise, varies from person
to person. But he doesn't believe that games are a forced activity.
"I loved playing beer pong as a freshman," House
said. "But no one ever forced me to play. I did it because I enjoyed
it. It's just something friends do when they get together to have a
good time."
Cortez believes that drinking games have the idea
of drinking all wrong.
"They breed the impression that the whole point
of drinking is to drink as much as you can as fast as you can," Cortez
said. "That impression is wrong."
According to the Harvard study, 50 percent of male
students are binge drinkers, while 39 percent of females fit that category.
Loew says that, in general, Purdue students are
smart about their drinking habits, citing that only one third of students
engage in high-risk drinking.
"Sixty-seven percent of students drink four or
fewer beverages when they party," said Loew.
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