Heavy drinking at NIU has dropped.

Michael Haines, coordinator of Health Enhancement Services at NIU, said the problem with drinking is the misperceptions people have.

“Most susceptible are college freshmen,” Haines said.

The study is based on research by H. Wesley Perkins and Alan D. Berkowitz of Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a survey conducted by NIU. The results are compared to another survey conducted by the Institute of Social Research, which takes information from all colleges.

The survey conducted by NIU is given out during the last two weeks in April to classrooms where the instructors give permission. It is based on volunteer response.

aines said it reaches all types of students but is aimed more at freshmen and sophomores.

“We went out of our way to change misperceptions,” Haines said. “This is the first time a college has put together an effort to change misperceptions.”

He said “to change college and sophomore behavior, inform them that the majority is doing the right thing. Provide information that accentuates what they are doing right.”

The research conducted by Perkins and Berkowitz states that college students overestimate how much their peers drink.

“When authorities exaggerate unhealthy behavior it gives the students the impression that the unhealthy behavior is the norm, and students feel pressure to be normal,” Haines explained.

The goal of NIU’s alcohol awareness program is to provide information that shows students the real facts on drinking. The campaign in Fall 1987 distributed fliers. Ads also were run.

In addition to the fliers and ads, two students calling themselves the “Money Brothers” went around campus and approached students in cafeterias asking them for the correct percentages about student drinking presented on the fliers. If people were able to give correct answers, they would be given dollars on the spot.

According to the figures released for the 1990 school year, there was a decrease in heavy drinking at NIU. “We were real excited about the whole thing,” Haines said.

aines explained the figures are significant because they show the program has worked. The figures show a 10-point decrease for perception of heavy drinking and an 8-point decrease for actual heavy drinking.

The program at NIU provided information showing the actual percentages of students who are heavy drinkers, hoping that would cause students to drink less.

“If we feedback to college students positive messages and link those messages with positive behavior, then they are more likely to do the positive behavior,” Haines said.

This particular campaign provides a relatively low-cost way to get short term positive results. “Other models had not provided this,” Haines said.

He added they will be looking closely for the repetition of the results this spring to see if it holds up.