UT Public Health Expert on College Drinking
Writes Guide to Documentary Film
Scott Walters, Ph.D.
HOUSTON – (Dec. 1, 2008) – As the documentary film HAZE hits college campuses throughout the country, it comes packaged with a secret weapon of sorts: a facilitator’s guide written by Scott Walters, Ph.D., associate professor at The University of Texas School of Public Health Dallas Regional Campus and author of Talking with College Students about Alcohol.
The guide is intended to help students, faculty members and parents alike talk about alcohol use on college campuses after viewing the film, which centers on the story of Gordon Bailey.
Bailey, from Dallas, was a freshman at the University of Colorado at Boulder when he died in 2004 as a result of a fraternity hazing event. His parents, Leslie and Michael Lanahan, founded The Gordie Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to providing young people with the skills to navigate the dangers of alcohol, binge drinking, peer pressure and hazing.
“They have a unique nonprofit with a heart behind it because it was founded by people who have a personal connection,” said Walters, who has done extensive research on alcohol consumption on college campuses. “We’re trying to use the momentum of the movie to maximize the message and create a scaffold for group conversation around educating students on alcohol.”
The movie and guide, which debuted this fall, come at an opportune time. Research has shown that dangerous alcohol consumption, including alcohol poisoning, spikes in December right after school breaks for the holidays, Walters said.
“We heard that people wanted to talk about what they viewed and the point of the guide is help lead the discussion–not to come up with answers but to be able to talk about it,” Michael Lanahan said. “We read some of Scott’s research and thought with his experience and university setting, he would be the right person to write the guide. His only agenda is to educate and help.”
The goals of the movie and guide are to raise awareness about the dangers of college drinking, motivate students to make healthy decisions around alcohol use and encourage parents, universities and organizations to work on creating an environment to promote healthy decisions about alcohol, Walters said.
Walters’ research has centered on ways to reduce college drinking, specifically dangerous binge drinking, through tools such as the online programs, e-CHUG (www.e-CHUG.com) and e-TOKE (www.e-TOKE.com). He also has written about interventions based on the predictability of college drinking. Research has shown that students drink more during the beginning of school, Spring Break, 21st birthday celebrations, sporting events, homecoming and graduation. Research has also shown that drinking is heavier among students in fraternities and sororities. Each year, more than 1,700 college students die as a result of alcohol misuse.
“On average, college students drink a little more than adults, but what makes college drinking so risky is the pattern,” Walters explained. “Instead of drinking small amounts all through the week, they’re more likely to save it up and drink it all at once. It’s the bunching together of drinks that makes college drinking particularly risky.”
The film, directed by Pete Schuermann and produced by Leslie and Michael Lanahan, uses graphic images filmed at campus parties, during medical emergency calls and from police files, including details on the circumstances surrounding Bailey’s death.
Lanahan said the film is also being adapted for a high school audience and Walters is writing a guide to go with it. The focus of the film and accompanying guide will be tailored to younger audiences and helping educate and involve parents in the prevention process. They hope to debut it in the spring, reaching high school students before they go off to college.
According to Walters, “Many college students start drinking before they hit the college campus. So we’re hoping to spread the message early.”
The School of Public Health is one of the six schools of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, which also is devoted to medicine, nursing, dentistry, health informatics and graduate studies in biomedical science. Other components include the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases (IMM), the UT Harris County Psychiatric Center and the Mental Sciences Institute. The UT Health Science Center at Houston, founded in 1972, is part of the University of Texas System. It is a state-supported health institution whose state funding is supplemented by competitive research grants, patient fees and private philanthropy.
The Gordie Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization providing today’s young people with the skills to navigate the dangers of alcohol, binge drinking, peer pressure, and hazing. The Gordie Foundation is located at 2715 Swiss Avenue Dallas, TX 75204. Phone: (214) 823-0235; Fax: (214) 823-0236, Email: contactus@gordie.org. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.gordie.org.