National Collegiate Athletic Association

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The NCAA News -- Sports Sciences Newsletter -- October 26, 1998

Meet the alcohol-abuse problem head on

BY RANDY HAVESON

Consultant

Alcohol has been a part of the college experience for generations. Even though college students feel they are informed about issues related to alcohol, many of them continue to abuse the drug.

More often than not, it is determined that members of fraternities and sororities, freshmen, and student-athletes are among the groups that abuse alcohol. It should be no surprise that student-athletes are a part of this contingent. Excessive alcohol consumption has been and still is a facet of the culture for too many student-athletes.

This article is meant to provide a different perspective on the alcohol issue. It is easy to look the other way or rationalize that "College students will be college students." This line of thinking has never worked, so it is time to study how to curb alcohol abuse; not the use of alcohol, but the abuse of it.

There are some facts that need to be considered when talking to athletes about alcohol. This drug is a depressant which takes its toll on several parts of the body, including the brain. Reaction times are slowed, the thinking process is delayed, the immune system is suppressed, and recovery time from injury is greatly affected.

Few people realize that the alcohol consumed during one night of drinking five or more beverages can stay in the body and affect brain and body activities for up to three days. The body is still impaired at the cellular level, even though a person does not feel "drunk." Two consecutive nights of consuming five or more drinks can affect the body for up to five days. So an athlete who drinks hard after a contest on Saturday can still be affected by the alcohol on Thursday!

Obviously, this has tremendous consequences for players and their teams. The problem lies, however, in that athletes do not know that they are being affected. They may be able to go about their daily activities without any problems, but their bodies are still struggling with the repercussions of drinking too much.

Alcohol also dehydrates the body. This is the primary reason why people suffer hangovers. Athletes who have just put 100 percent effort into winning a game may be bruised, slightly injured and drained of most of their fluids. That night, they drink more than five drinks and then wonder why they feel so horrible for the next few days. Their bodies simply do not have the fluids or nourishment necessary to recover. Alcohol not only dehydrated them, but also depleted them of the minerals and vitamins that are essential for their health.

When players are injured, they want to heal and be back on the field or court as soon as possible. But alcohol is a block to the recovery process. Tissue needs to heal and bones need to mend. This process takes vitamins, minerals, rest, fluids, rehabilitation and time. When injured athletes drink alcohol, their bodies are depleted of the much-needed vitamins and minerals, they are dehydrated, sleep patterns are affected so quality sleep is not possible, and the time it takes to recover will be lengthened. The body would like to spend its time mending the injury, but instead has to fend off the effects of the alcohol.

It is vital to talk to athletes about alcohol. There are good programs that are effective in informing students about alcohol's dangerous and debilitating effects. Also, many campuses have health educators or substance abuse professionals on staff that can work with student-athletes. There are consultants and speakers throughout the country that can come to your campus and work with students and athletic staff. A list of these speakers is available through the NCAA Web site at www.ncaa.org/ sports_sciences/.

Most of all, any change has to be done consistently. Not only do student-athletes have to be involved, but coaches, trainers, managers and administrative staff also need to be included in any educational programs. It needs to be a team effort.

There is hope. This is not an issue that will resolve itself. Alcohol abuse and alcoholism have ruined the lives of countless student-athletes. There may not be anyone reading this article who does not know at least one person whose life was ruined because of alcohol. This is an issue that seems easier to avoid than to discuss. That needs to change.

Here are some initial suggestions that can be implemented on your campus:

Talk to students, not at them, about alcohol. Students do not like being lectured to, especially about alcohol and the abuse of it.

Challenge students to go a period of time alcohol-free (a month is a good start) and see if there is a difference in their ability. Do a reaction test before and after the challenge and see what the difference is. Also, if a student has a hard time seeing himself or herself not drinking for a month, that could be a sign of a potential problem.

Issue a hard-line statement about alcohol use during the season and offseason. It is imperative to adhere to all sanctions and not give certain teams or players a break. It is a coach of integrity who will bench a starting quarterback as quickly as a redshirt freshman for an alcohol violation.

Have a place on campus where students can talk about potential problems in a confidential setting.

Educate coaches, trainers and administrators as well. Members of athletics staffs need to stop drinking with athletes.

Limit the amount of alcohol advertising in stadiums, because it does make a difference. It has been proven that when the number of alcohol-related billboards in neighborhoods is reduced, so is the consumption of alcohol and the problems associated with alcohol.

The University of Minnesota has recently taken a bold stance on alcohol advertising and its efforts need to be applauded. The institution turned down a lot of money to stand up for an issue it considers vital to the welfare of its students. Will it make a difference? Time will tell.

Randy Haveson is a speaker and consultant who works with student-athletes and campus personnel throughout North America. He can be contacted directly at 678/461-1887.