The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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December 27, 2007

Our View : Bingeing is not just a local issue

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Signs that Mankato is taking the problem of binge drinking seriously are all around us, evidenced most recently by the forum hosted at Minnesota State University last week. It is important to note, however, that forums in and of themselves don’t always produce lasting, applied solutions.

In fact, the best and most time-tested way to ignore facing up to a problem is to plan endless forums and conferences around the subject, talk it to death and then fail to arrive at a workable consensus. We need to ensure that doesn’t happen here.

It would be a mistake to say that alcohol-related issues are solely associated with young people, or with MSU students. But the college culture is persuasive in this town, and that is the right place for the focus to be now. The city of Mankato has already demonstrated a seriousness on its part by temporarily restricting new liquor licenses and re-examining liquor ordinances. MSU has stepped up with a campus summit and now plans for a community summit.

The time has arrived. When student leaders complain there is little to do in Mankato but shop, watch a movie and drink — as occurred at the campus summit last week — they should be kindly yet pointedly reminded that wise, responsible — and more mature — choices are available. MSU student groups need to be a real partner, not an excuse-maker for other students who place alcohol consumption at too high a priority.

Alas, the problem of binge drinking is indeed a large and troubling issue that affects not just Mankato but elsewhere. This past weekend an investigation into the Dec. 13 death of a Winona State University student resulted in a finding of acute alcohol poisoning. A 20-year-old sophomore from Brownsville was said to have steadily consumed drinks at bring-your-own-bottle parties for more than 12 hours desiring to get “smashed” following a tough quarter at school.

In lieu of the report, local police considered charging one or more people with supplying alcohol to the underage woman. The local police chief, citing other alcohol-related deaths, suggested students develop a buddy system. WSU president Dr. Judith Ramaley suggested students become “designated responders” who can spring into action when alcohol consumption goes beyond safe levels. Other suggestions included community-wide responses including cracking down on unlimited drink specials at bars and holding hosts of parties more responsible when things get out of hand.

These are the kinds of suggestions we are hearing in Mankato, or have already discussed. We are, of course, fully aware that persons determined to binge drink will find a way with or without stricter community controls, but by understanding that we are not alone — that other communities grapple with the same challenges — we can perhaps steel ourselves to tackle the issue of binge drinking and insure that we are moving toward seriously addressing this societal problem, knowing that we cannot afford to allow forums and conferences to end there.

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