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Description
Abstract: Compared to non-athletes, college athletes consume more alcohol and report higher rates of alcohol-related consequences such as DUI, unsafe sexual practices, and criminal behavior. This poses major problems for the integrity of college athletics, athletic department personnel, and health educators who work to reduce destructive alcohol behaviors on campus. To understand why current alcohol education is ineffective, it is necessary to examine the ecology of this behavior. This article examines alcohol use among college athletes using the Social Ecology Model to determine what most influences this behavior. A proposed ecological model specific to alcohol use among college athletes is discussed.
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"Probably 85 to 90 percent of the negative incidents on campus, whether dealing with players or other students, were in some way related to alcohol ... We have justifiable anxiety over 1,500 (American) deaths in Iraq of a two-year period, but alcohol kills 1,400 college students annually"--Tom Osborne interview, as made to Joan Ryan, reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, March 17, 2005.
Tom Osborne is a former University of Nebraska head football coach and now Republican Congressman representing Nebraska in the U.S. House of Representatives. According to Osborne, in his 36 years as a coach of the Cornhuskers, he dealt with only three students who abused steroids and thousands who abused alcohol (Ryan, 2005). Glance at recent collegiate athletic news and instead of scores and highlights, one notices headlines regarding arrests, team suspensions, and campus crimes committed by student athletes. While people may dismiss these incidents as youthful indiscretions, universities take very seriously the major responsibility to promote positive behaviors and safe environments among its student athletes, as well as non-athletes. The question becomes why are there so many negative occurrences on campuses, and why are so many committed by college athletes? With highly publicized Congressional hearings centered on steroid use as the primary substance abuse problem in sports, it is easy to forget that alcohol, not performance enhancers, contributes to more social and health problems among athletes than any other drug (Leichliter Meilman, Presley, & Cashin, 1998; Naughton, 1996). Although the use of performance enhancing substances does increase health risks and prevention programs are needed, health educators and higher education administrators cannot overlook the problem of alcohol misuse among university athletes. Alcohol consumption and misuse is a major part of athletic life at colleges across the United States.
From 1970-2005, at least one college athlete has suffered an alcohol-related death every year (Nuwar, 2000). Alcohol is not new to college campuses or college athletics; however, recent media headlines have raised questions about the culture of college athletics and its relationship to alcohol. Among the many alcohol-related incidences: Duke University Men's Lacrosse--Season cancelled and coach resigns after alcohol-fueled party on March 13, 2006 results in sexual assault and kidnapping charges against three players ("Duke Lacrosse," 2006 ).
* California State University at Chico cancels 2006 softball season after a 17 year old recruit entered the hospital for alcohol overdose. Several current players were in attendance and also under the legal drinking age ("Recruit Went to Hospital," 2006).
* Hartwick College, in Oneonta, NY, suspends several players for the 2006 lacrosse season after hazing incident where freshmen players were forced to strip and drink a keg of beer (Palmateer, 2006).
* UCLA football player Justin Medlock charged with felony driving under the influence after a December 10, 2005 automobile accident in which fellow athlete Hannah Jun was seriously injured ("UCLA Placekicker," 2005).
ALCOHOL USE AMONG COLLEGE ATHLETES
Over the past several decades, studies have consistently shown that athletes exhibit high rates of alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences. A 2001 study by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) revealed that 78.3% of college athletes had used alcohol within the previous year, while a similar study by Green, Uryasz, Petr, and Bray (2001) reported that 80.5% of student athletes surveyed consumed alcohol in that time period. Multiple studies showed that university student athletes report higher use and misuse of alcohol than comparable non-athletes (Hildebrand, Johnson, & Bogle, 2001; Leichliter, et al., 1998; Nelson & Wechsler, 2001; Wechsler, Davenport, Dowdall, Grossman, & Zanakos, 1997). Hildebrand et al. revealed that college athletes (28.5%) show significantly higher levels of heavy drinking than comparable non-athletes (13.8%). Leichliter et al. reported that college athletic team members average 50% more drinks per week (9.66) than student non-athletes (6.37). Additionally, student athletes experience more alcohol-related consequences such as driving under the influence, unsafe sexual practices, and institutional offenses (Leichliter et al.). Despite these statistics, current educational efforts have done little to change or modify the behaviors of these athletes.
Although the NCAA has begun to review external alcohol policies, including advertising, little has been done to review policies governing athlete behavior (Hedlund, 2005). The minimal guidelines for alcohol education set forth by the NCAA states that individual institutions must deliver an education program at least once a semester for athletes (NCAA Minimum, n.d.). However, it is evident that simple education, although important, cannot alone change behavior (Wechsler, Nelson, & Weitzman, 2000). Researchers have suggested that there are too many other factors that strongly influence whether an athlete will consume alcohol or binge drink (Harvard Alcohol, n.d.). Realizing that multiple influences affect behavior, a systematic review of all levels of influence is necessary to determine effective change. This article suggests the adoption of a broad, multi-level approach for health educators, college administrators, and athletic department... |
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