NIU’s increased efforts in alcohol education over the last four years have resulted in a 50 percent decrease in alcohol-related injuries recorded by the University Health Service.

Alcohol-related injuries decreased by 25 percent in 1986-87, followed by an additional 25 percent reduction in 1987-88.

Michael Haines, health enhancement coordinator, said, “Obviously our efforts to warn students about the consequences of high dose consumption seem to be working.”

NIU’s alcohol education efforts reached full speed last January, he said.

“Many organizations have played a part in raising alcohol awareness. University Programming and Activities, InterFraternity Council, residence halls, BACCHUS and Students Against Drunk Driving and public service announcements in The Northern Star have all contributed to the reduction in injuries,” he said.

Haines said that in 1985-86, students in residence halls recorded the most alcohol-related injuries. Greeks were second, followed by off-campus residents.

“In 1987-88, all (of) that changed when off-campus residents outnumbered residence hall people by two to one in reporting injuries to the health center. Off-campus residents also reported five injuries to every one reported by students in the greek system,” he said.

The reduction in injuries is only one part of Haines’ three-year objectives for alcohol education.

Haines conducted the first alcohol survey in 1987, which found alcohol to be the drug of choice among NIU students. A second survey in 1988 revealed that high dose consumption was a major contributing factor in alcohol-related injuries.

“Our main concern is not between drinking and abstinence, but rather between drinking and heavy drinking,” Haines said.

Tim, not his real name, an NIU freshman and member of Alcoholics Anonymous, is pleased with the results of alcohol education efforts, but said he thinks NIU can do more.

“Students are given helpful hints about drinking and are told to ‘think when you drink,’ yet I don’t think NIU has provided enough information about the disease concept of alcoholism as defined by AA, and what it means to become chemically dependent.

“The traditional image of an alcoholic is one of a bum on skid row with the shakes. Most people don’t realize that even social drinkers can be candidates for problematic drinking. You don’t have to be physically dependent on alcohol to be an alcoholic,” he said.

Patricia, not her real name, an NIU graduate student and AA member, said she was a social drinker for years before she realized that she had an addiction to alcohol.

She began to use alcohol to relieve emotional pressure, yet even after spending a night out with friends, she said she would wake up the next day feeling remorseful.

“It was a feeling of guilt about having to use alcohol to insulate myself from the problems in my life.

“A person who is addicted to alcohol is usually egotistical, hiding a very low self-esteem. That person may rarely get sick from drinking, yet they know that they have an inability to say ‘no’ to one more drink. The road to recovery is only begun once that person admits that they are powerless to the chemical,” Patricia said.