New Alcohol Restrictions at UMass

Parent Cafe
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<p>"With the start of the spring semester, the community of UMass will see the effects of recent changes to the alcohol policy. Via email in the closing weeks of January, Jo-Ann Vanin, the Dean of Students, informed the staff and student body of the changes that will be effective immediately.</p>

<p>According to Vanin, the alterations to the policy were made by "the Student Affairs Judicial Issues Committee, reviewed by me and then reviewed and approved by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life." The new implementations to the alcohol policy of the campus come as a result of ongoing concern in the community, she said.</p>

<p>Vanin stresses that the changes are not wholly radical. "These changes reflect our on-going efforts to reduce underage drinking and the excessive consumption of alcohol in our residence halls - our living-learning communities," she said.</p>

<p>The policy changes include the complete prohibition of alcohol-related games. Also, group gatherings of more than 10 people in a room with alcohol will no longer be permitted. Students who are 21 and older will not be able to keep more than 12 bottles or cans of beer, two bottles of wine or one bottle of hard liquor. Also, alcohol paraphernalia such as taps and funnels will be prohibited.</p>

<p>A "Good Samaritan" protocol was also included in the guidelines. According to the UMass website, Vanin states, "Students run no risk of penalty when reporting a situation in which emergency medical help may be required when someone is severely intoxicated or is seriously injured as a result of drinking." In regards to this recent policy shift, she expresses that this enforcement is "in direct response to our concern for student welfare and safety."</p>

<p>I guess the biggest surprise to me (I work in the field) are the restructions on students over age 21. I am sure they checked with their lawyers, and concluded that, under Massachusetts law, a landlord can indeed restrict the activities of an adult tenant. The other restrictions I have seen elsewhere. </p>

<p>I have no strong opinions as to whether these particular restrictions will have significant impacts on the extent of dangerous drinking (there are others that I know have that have shown more effectiveness). But I do expect that, if enforced, they will make life more pleasant for non-drinkers or moderate drinkers living on campus.</p>

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<p>Please note this applies only to dorms. A half case of beer/student does not seem like much of a restriction. I am all for no alcohol in the dorms. A 10 kid/room limit is also a minimal restriction. Most dorm rooms are small enough to barely hold 10 (plus the 5 cases of beer).</p>

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<p>They should be soo lucky that 21 yo's can have alcohol at all in the dorms - many schools do not allow any if the roomy is under 21 - or anyone visiting a 21 yo who is not 21 themselves - so that will be a problem - and actually I don't see how these new rules are going to make a dent at UMASS anyways. They can't search the rooms - only what is left out IF the RA is invited in - under the law. And 1/2 case of beer for many - not all - is enough to get a good buzz - so..............</p>

<p>Seems if they wanted to make any dent at all - they would disallow all alcohol in the dorms - but that would drive students off campus to drink - so..............</p>

<p>I don't see those changes doing anything at all.</p>

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<p>"Seems if they wanted to make any dent at all - they would disallow all alcohol in the dorms - but that would drive students off campus to drink - so.............."</p>

<p>I think you underestimate the impact of such a move. Yes, it may drive SOME students off campus to drink. But if the purpose of the policy is to provide a healthy environment for abstainers (or moderate drinkers), driving students off campus to drink is a GOOD thing, not a bad one.</p>

<p>Like all illicit behaviors, among the major factors in predicting prevalence is proximity. If there is less around, or you have to go farther to get it, studies indicate clearly that you are likely to do it less often. I can't see how that would be a bad thing.</p>

<p>If UMass dorms are like others, there are likely common rooms, or common areas where much drinking with 10 or more people has taken place. If so, and the regs. were enforced, this would certainly change patterns of behavior, even if it forced drinking to other venues.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
If so, and the regs. were enforced...

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yeah, and I've got a bridge in Brooklyn for sale. </p>

<p>How exactly is UMass supposed to enforce these regulations? Enforcement would require full-time foot patrols of all the dorms by campus security. Somehow I very much doubt the Mass. legislature will increase the UMass appropriation to cover this new expense. And, even if they did, they would back off in response to constituent pressure when all the "little Johnnies" start getting sanctioned by the university.</p>

<p>The only real impact of these regulations is to give the college the ability to selectively enforce the regulations with mild wrist-slap punishments in the occasional case.</p>

<p>They already had more than 1000 liquor law arrests and violation referrals on-campus in 2004. If 1000 wasn't a deterrent, I doubt that 2500 or 5000 would be either.</p>

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<p>ID - we have found (Western Washington U.) that we DON'T have to consistently enforce the regulations for them to be effective. Basically, in the first month of the year, the U. calls in the town police and rounds a bunch of kids up on a police bus, holds them overnight, and then releases them, with notes going home to parents from the U. That, together with a social norms marketing campaign, has cut the binge drinking rate by roughly 12% (which is huge!)</p>

<p>It's very effective, and now is being reproduced at about a dozen other state unis - (Northern Illinois being the one that immediately comes to mind.)</p>

<p>Things aren't so hopeless, or so expensive, as they seem. But the college has to actually want to do it.</p>

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<p>I don't know how it is at UMass, but most people just pregame in their rooms - the real parties happen at off-campus apartments/houses or at frat houses. </p>

<p>Mini - you don't need to consistently enforce them, but you do have to enforce them for at least a while to make people know the rules are credible. Without enforcement for at least a reasonable period of time, no one is going to really care about the rules except for the nondrinkers who already follow them.</p>

<p>And a 12 pack of beer is nothing. I find it comical that they say one bottle of hard alcohol or 12 beers - a handle of 80 proof liqour (that's 1.75 liters for the abstainers) contains significantly more alcohol than 12 beers, and even a fifth has more alcohol than 12 beers.</p>

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<p>Mini:</p>

<p>I would respectfully suggest that Western Washington U. is probably amateur hour compared to ZooMASS:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.umass.edu/senate/fs/minutes/2005-2006/UHS-Alcohol-Nov-3-2005.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.umass.edu/senate/fs/minutes/2005-2006/UHS-Alcohol-Nov-3-2005.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>From the 2005 survey:</p>

<p>Binge drinking rate: 59%
Frequent binge rate: 33%
Blackout from drinking: 41%
Believe Out of control parties are UMass tradtion: 73%
Have not read the UMass alcohol policy: 50%
Can't read: not reported</p>

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<p>Agreed. Which is why I think it would MUCH, much easier to make a difference at UMass - if they choose to do it. </p>

<p>"Mini - you don't need to consistently enforce them, but you do have to enforce them for at least a while to make people know the rules are credible. Without enforcement for at least a reasonable period of time, no one is going to really care about the rules except for the nondrinkers who already follow them."</p>

<p>Yup, that's exactly what I said they do at WWU; they enforce heavily for about two weeks in the first month or two of school. That's all they found necessary. </p>

<p>As for pre-gaming before off-campus parties? Well, for the abstainer, or moderate drinker, I think that's great! It moves the locus of on-campus drinking away from common spaces, and moves the heavy drinking off-campus, where abstainers or moderate drinkers don't have to deal with it. </p>

<p>Look, heavy drinkers are going to drink wherever they are. I take that as a given. But for the vast majority of our kids (and note I said OUR kids), whether they binge or not is very much a matter of availability, opportunity, and proximity. Reduce any of these and you move toward reducing dangerous drinking toward those who would be heavy drinkers anyway.</p>

<p>I've got data from all over the country on colleges that have taken successful steps to reduce overall binge drinking rates. It is neither expensive nor difficult, but is often unpopular. Colleges just have to decide they want to do it. I expect the major impact of the UMass regs. will not be (initially) to cut down on the binge drinking rate, but it will (or at least could) cut down on the number of "frequent" binge drinkers, simply by reducing opportunity and proximity.</p>

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<p>MINI - you mention the drinking occuring in ''common spaces'' - not!!! It goes on in all the dorm rooms - and believe me - ZooMASS will need a major make over for the OP's info to be able to be inforced there. There is been at best just about no effort made there regarding the drinking issues - and the state of MA will not be putting large amounts of $$ to make major changes there.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Like all illicit behaviors, among the major factors in predicting prevalence is proximity. If there is less around, or you have to go farther to get it, studies indicate clearly that you are likely to do it less often. I can't see how that would be a bad thing.

[/quote]

I think that anything is better than nothing when it comes to college kids and alcohol. I would vote for an initial period of tough enforcement followed by random checks. I actually think that all dorms should be substance/alcohol free -- 3/4's of these kids have got to be underage and we should not allow them to break the law. I know this won't happen at most schools, but I think it's bizarre that we tolerate this behavior in colleges.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
And a 12 pack of beer is nothing. I find it comical that they say one bottle of hard alcohol or 12 beers - a handle of 80 proof liqour (that's 1.75 liters for the abstainers) contains significantly more alcohol than 12 beers, and even a fifth has more alcohol than 12 beers.

[/quote]

Agreed. To me, there's also a difference in the type of alcohol - while beer has a lower alcohol content than wine, many people drink beer to get drunk, while wine is meant to go with nice meals. Two bottles of wine, in my world, is not a lot - heck, that's a red and a white - what's a girl to do if she has a dinner party? What about dessert wines? Ports? Champagne? Not that you could go through that in a night with a few friends, but a remotely well-stocked wine supply (for a moderate drinker) includes more than that.</p>

<p>Guess I'm saying that I dislike the focus on the amount of alcohol present - makes it hard to teach kids to drink responsibly and to use alcohol properly. Your generation does not seem to be very keen on setting a good example for our generation: alcohol is banned until 21, then heavily restricted afterwards in many contexts (cannot walk home intoxicated in many areas; the above examples of college campuses) - is it any wonder that my generation cannot just have a normal relationship with alcohol? </p>

<p>I do think that the single biggest factor in my pretty tame drinking life is that I was always introduced to alcohol as a social thing (have a beer with friends; have a glass of wine with dinner) or a taste thing (is this dry? Fruity? Sweet? This one goes well with meat; don't drink a white wine when you're having tomato sauce) - not a "drunk" thing. </p>

<p>Rant over.</p>

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<p>Cheney, WA where Eastern Wash University is located, out in the wheat fields of the pauloose is far enough away from anywhere, needs to have alcohol. Just like Eugene, a college town that is too quiet for me. tonight. I've had a beer! Yipee.</p>

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<p>MIMI believe me I agree!!! - just that UMASS has been struggeling with this for a long time and gotten NO where. Gee - wonder why we would not consider our own flag ship U for our own kiddos - uuummmmm no wonder they call the place Zoo Mass - alot of the arrests tend to come from the big events that happen out there - but the kids always find a way to drink themselves silly there - no matter if on or off campus. Maybe some day they will come up with a plan to slow down the drinking BEFORE the kids get there.</p>

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<p>If UMass wanted enforcement, their best shot would have been while Billy Bulger was still there. If I recall, "enforcement" was the Bulger family business.</p>

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<p>I-Dad, What - if you do a keg stand, you sleep with the fishes?</p>

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<p>ID - Bulger is one of the major reasons that UMASS is in such a mess!!!! and ya - enforcement being the family buisness is such a truism lol.</p>

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<p>Yeah. Whitey handled the private sector enforcement division and Billy handled the public sector division. Bulger, Inc. -- a full-service family-owned enforcement company!</p>

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<p>HAHAHA ID - taint that the truth!!! LOL</p>

<p>No way would I be willing to put my hard earned $$'s in the Bulger coffers - uuggh - and the UMASS outcome sure was a victim of his reign!!!</p>

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<p>the umass admin recently ordered the campus police to patrol the dorms and enforce the student code of conduct, which includes the alcohol policy. the cops hate it - they prefer to do real police duties, like law enforcement. there are rumors going around that students who are alleged to have violated the alcohol policy are being summarily disciplined, which is par for the course at umass. i wouldn't be at all surprised if umass started getting hit with lawsuits for violating their students' civil rights.</p>