Step inside the haunted side of Portland p. 8 & 9
Spending too much on food at the The Commons? p. 13 Vol. 112, Issue 08
BEACON THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Thursday October 28, 2010 www.upbeacon.net
STUDY ABROAD INCREASES STUDENT ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
Photo from Google images Photos by Megan Irinaga | THE BEACON Photo illustration by Rosemary Peters | THE BEACON
University of Washington study finds that drinking increases during study abroad Caitlin Yilek Staff Writer yilek12@up.edu
For many UP students, spending a semester or a summer abroad immersed in another culture means being of legal drinking age, which leads to a higher consumption of alcohol. According to a recent study by the University of Washington published in the current issue of Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, studying abroad leads to a greater consumption of alcohol while abroad and, in some cases, after the students return to their home campus. “I would say my alcohol consumption increased significantly while I was studying abroad, but it was only because it was legal,” junior Lacey Hall said of her experience while studying in Australia last spring. UW surveyed 177 students before their semester abroad and after they returned to campus. The study found that drinking increased considerably for students studying in Australia, Europe and New Zealand. However, those who studied in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America tended to drink less. “Legally we were allowed to
drink in Europe at age 18,” senior Elizabeth Beshoar said. Beshoar studied abroad in the Salzburg year-long program last year. “Since everyone on the trip was 18, we could drink a glass of wine or a beer with dinner or whatever,” Beshoar said. “In that sense, I did notice an increase in the amount of alcohol that myself, as well as other people, drank.” According to Fr. Arthur Wheeler, C.S.C., director of Studies Abroad, student drinking increases everywhere that public drinking is legal. However, behavior varies with maturity, he said.
“In my experience, the most irresponsible drinking behavior among students has been associated with drinking games.”
Fr. Arthur Wheeler, C.S.C. Director of Studies Abroad
“The younger the students, the more likely that they will experiment in an immature fashion,” Wheeler said in an e-mail from Spain. The UW study also found that, on average, students doubled their drinking while abroad. However, according to the researchers at UW, most students saw a decline in their consumption of alcohol post-study abroad. “I can’t speak for the entire group, but I know that my drinking has decreased significantly since
studying abroad,” Hall said. “I have only drank four or five times this semester.” Beshoar agreed. “Obviously the people who are not 21 don’t drink as much,” Beshoar said. “They can’t legally anymore.” Hall says that on average Australians drink more than Americans. “I think it is simply because the drinking age is lower for them,” Hall said, “And by (drinking) more, I mean more often. They don’t necessarily consume more beverages.” According to Hall, it was part of the Australian culture to go out and have a drink on weekdays. “They were way more laid back than Americans and weren’t on such rigid schedules, which I think allowed them to have more fun on weekdays,” Hall said. Hall says that her group consumed alcohol at least three nights a week. “(We drank) one or two school nights, on average, and then usually both nights on the weekend,” Hall said, “But there were also nights I didn’t drink at all and still went out.” Hall and her group were prohibited from drinking in their residence halls, so they did not consume wine or beer during lunch. Several times they went out for dinner, which sometimes included a glass of wine or beer, Hall said. According to Wheeler, See Alcohol, page 4
Oregon bans Spice
The day after The Beacon ran a story about synthetic marijuana, the Oregon Board of Pharmacy banned Spice Elizabeth Vogel Staff Writer vogel11@up.edu The Beacon ran a story on Oct. 14 about synthetic marijuana products called “Spice” or “K2.” On the same day the Oregon Board of Pharmacy enacted rules that make it illegal to possess or use these products. As of Oct. 15 “Spice,” “K2” and similar products are banned in the state of Oregon. “Their misuse and abuse by young people have resulted in a number of serious incidents requiring emergency care and hospital admission or death. The abuse of these chemicals has the potential to cause a life-threatening incident,” the Oregon Board of Pharmacy document on the new rules said. Kristina Houck, University of Portland counselor, also showed concern about the product. “I’ve read cases of increased heart rate, loss of consciousness and paranoia,” she said. According to the Oregon Poison Center, many people came to the Emergency Room
as a result of using synthetic “marijuana.” UP student “Alex” from the Oct. 14 article was surprised to hear about the new ban, but had no comment. Senior Jessica Stacey is happy about the ban. “I think it’s good because it sounds more dangerous to put something made in a lab in your body rather than something natural,” she said. Oregon is the 13th state to pass legislation to ban synthetic cannabis. According to a press release from the Oregon Board of Pharmacy, the temporary ban allows law enforcement to prosecute both the sale and possession of synthetic cannabinoids, which are now on the Oregon list of controlled substances. The reasons given for the ban were that the products are easily obtained by young people and are dangerous. “There are no manufacturing standards for these chemicals, there is no current medical use, and there is documented evidence of serious medical consequences,” the press release said.