Chapel Hill Coalition Aims to Reduce High Risk Drinking

A new town-gown coalition is working to reduce high risk drinking in Chapel Hill.

In a recent survey, 71 percent of college students and 47 percent of high school seniors here reported using alcohol in the previous 30 days.

The Campus and Community Coalition to Reduce the Negative Impacts of High Risk Drinking are taking on the problem of high-risk drinking that exists in Chapel Hill and various communities. The origins of the group started in 2013 when former Chancellor Holden Thorp and former Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt convened a group to tackle the issue of binge drinking. Under the name of “The Town Gown Collaborative,” spokesman Elinor Landes says they are focused on the environment in which students make decisions about drinking.

“The coalition recommended that the university update its alcohol policy,” said Landes. “They’ve updated it to make it a campus-alcohol policy instead of a student-alcohol policy. That new policy went into effect on August 1st.”

The group is also working on a social norms campaign that would promote healthy behaviors and correct incorrect perceptions about campus alcohol culture.

In regards to high school drinking, Landes says they want parents to get the conversation started earlier with their kids.

“Research has proven the impact of having a conversation with your student before they arrive on campus can really have positive effects on decisions that students make around drinking,” said Landes.

Landes says there’s been a change with the pace and amount of time that students are drinking, particularly before football games.

“The phenomenon of ‘pregaming’ is gaining popularity,” said Landes. “Drinking a high volume of alcohol in a short amount of time is different. One of the messages that the university is sending to parents in their communication at their orientation sessions it’s different today.”

Coalition membership includes agency partners from the university, town, and county, university students, community members, and downtown bar and restaurant owners. Strategies to address high risk drinking and its impact on the community include public education and updates and additions to policies related to high risk drinking.

Town-gown coalitions to curb drinking on college campuses are nothing new. There are similar groups at Michigan State, Ohio State and the University of Massachusetts. Landes says what makes the Chapel Hill group unique is support from the town.

“The town has committed funding and resources in terms of time and dedication and staff,” said Landes. “The university has done the same, but we also have the county health department on board. And the Orange County ABC board. So we have this coalition of folks that includes some unique partners in the health department and in the ABC board.”

Landes says the fact that many of these organizations are pitching in shows that Chapel Hill is taking the issue of binge drinking seriously.

Chapel Hill Coalition Aims to Reduce High Risk Drinking

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