James Evan Lange

Drunk in Public, Drunk in Private: The Relationship Between College Students, Drinking Environments and Alcohol Consumption

This study examines environmental differences in public (bars) and private (parties) drinking settings among of-age (21 and up years of age) and underage (18–20 years of age) college students attending college near the US/Mexico border. A random telephone survey of graduate and undergraduate students attending two large public universities in the southwestern United States was conducted during the 2000–2003 academic years. A university-based social science research laboratory conducted the telephone interviews with respondents who reported an occasion in the past 28 days where alcohol was being consumed (N = 4,964). The data were analyzed using ordinary least squares multiple regression. The results suggests that drinking settings contributed to the amount of alcohol consumed by respondents. Additionally, environmental factors contributing to drinking vary by setting. In general, having many people intoxicated at an event, BYOB parties, playing drinking games, and having illicit drugs available contribute to heavier drinking.

Living Dangerously: Driver Distraction at High Speed

Recent research indicates that cell phone use can distract drivers from safe vehicle operation. However, estimates of the prevalence of cell phone use while driving have been limited to daytime hours and low-speed roadways. This paper describes the results of a study to estimate rates of cell phone use and other distractions by examining approximately 40,000 high-quality digital photographs of vehicles and drivers on the New Jersey Turnpike. The photographs, which originally were collected as part of a separate study, were taken both during the day and during the night and at different locations across the span of the Turnpike. A radar gun linked to the camera recorded the speeds of vehicles as they passed. This provided us with the speeds of every vehicle photographed, and allowed us to determine population counts of vehicles. A panel of three trained coders examined each photograph and recorded the presence of cell phone use by the drivers or any other distracting behavior. Demographic information on the driver was obtained during previous examinations of the photographs for an unrelated study. A rating was considered reliable when two out of the three coders agreed. Population estimates (and confidence intervals) of cell phone use and other distractions were estimated by weighting the cases by the inverse probability of vehicle selection. Logistic regression was used to predict cell phone use from demographic and situational factors. The results indicated that the most frequent distraction was cell phone use: 1.5% of the drivers on the Turnpike were using cell phones compared to the 3 to 4% use rates reported in the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) surveys conducted during the daytime on lower speed roadways. The Turnpike survey indicated that cell phones were used less on weekends and at night, and when the driver was exceeding the speed limit or had a passenger in the car.

Testing the racial profiling hypothesis for seemingly disparate traffic stops on the New Jersey Turnpike

This paper describes two studies designed to produce benchmark values with which to compare police stop data in an effort to assess racial profiling. Racial profiling is often measured by comparing the racial and ethnic distribution from police stop rates to race and ethnicity data derived from regional census counts. However, benchmarks may be more appropriate that are based on (1) the population of drivers or (2) the population of traffic violators. This research surveyed drivers on the New Jersey Turnpike and produced benchmark distributions reflecting these two populations. Benchmark values then were compared to police stops collected from State Troopers patrolling the Turnpike. The results revealed that the racial make‐up of speeders differed from that of nonspeeding drivers and closely approximated the racial composition of police stops. Specifically, the proportion of speeding drivers who were identified as Black mirrored the proportion of Black drivers stopped by police. This finding may explain the differences found between police stop rates and regional census data that are often interpreted as evidence of racial profiling. Interpretation and limitations of the results are discussed.

College Undergraduate Ritalin Abusers in Southwestern California: Protective and Risk Factors

During the past five years, a few studies have reported that college students are using stimulants such as Ritalin without a prescription. To date, studies on college Ritalin/Adderall use have been from samples in the eastern or midwestern U.S. This study was designed to examine risk and protective factors associated with Ritalin/Adderall use among a college sample in Southern California. Our findings indicate that 11.2% of students reported past year and over 4% reported past 30 day use of Ritalin/Adderall. In our final analysis, students with lower GPAs, in a fraternity/sorority, not in a committed relationship, and who smoke and use other drugs were more likely to report past year and past 30 day Ritalin/Adderall use. Implications for prevention programming of these findings are discussed.

EVALUATION OF A METHOD FOR REDUCING UNLICENSED DRIVING: THE WASHINGTON AND OREGON LICENSE PLATE STICKER LAWS

This report covers an evaluation of programs designed to reduce unlawful driving in the states of Washington and Oregon by providing for the marking of the license plate of a vehicle when its operator was apprehended driving while suspended. In both states, the records of 101,000 drivers convicted of a drunk-driving offense who were potentially at risk for this sanction were analyzed using time series analysis to determine the general deterrent effect of the law. In addition, the specific deterrent effect of having ones vehicle marked was studied in Oregon using analysis of covariance. Results of these analyses indicated that the law had both a general and specific deterrence effect in Oregon but no measurable effect in Washington.

Nighttime observations of safety belt use: an evaluation of California's primary law.

OBJECTIVES An analysis was conducted to determine what effect Californias change to a primary safety belt law had on safety belt use among nighttime weekend drivers. METHODS Observations of 18,469 drivers in 2 California communities were made during voluntary roadside surveys conducted every other Friday and Saturday night from 9 PM to 2 AM for 4 years. RESULTS Rates of safety belt use rose from 73.0% to 95.6% (P < .0005). For drivers with blood alcohol concentrations of 0.10 or higher, rates rose from 53.4% to 92.1% (P < .0005). CONCLUSIONS Because substantial improvement in safety belt use was seen even in a group of high-risk drivers, the injury reduction benefits of this law may be high.

Cross-border college drinking

Problem: Universities have a major problem with binge drinking by students. This problem is greater for universities near national borders where underage students can cross into areas where the legal drinking age is younger than in the United States. Method: A telephone survey of students at two large universities, within an hour drive of the Mexican border, was conducted to determine the extent of the cross-border drinking problem. Results: On average, the students reported about 6.5 trips across the border to drink in the past year and indicated that when drinking in Mexico they consumed greater amounts of alcohol — more than six drinks compared to 4.5 in the United States. Summary: The study indicated that young males drank the most (8.7 drinks) when in Mexico compared to 4.7 drinks for those older than 21 years and 4.5 drinks for women younger than 21 years. Thus, young male students who are more likely to be drivers than their female comparisons drink twice as much, when in Mexico, creating a significant risk for both. Impact on Industry: Unknown, but companies near the border may wish to consider special education programs aimed at underage male employees.

Collegiate natural drinking groups: Characteristics, structure, and processes

College students typically consume alcohol in groups. To examine group characteristics, structure, processes, and group drinking, we conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 30 (50% female; 60% non-Latino White) college students (18–24 years old). Participants described the last event they attended where alcohol was present. The interviews were fully transcribed and coded using an inductive approach with the software ATLAS.ti 5.2. The findings revealed that group formation often involved minimal planning and was facilitated by technologies such as phone, text messaging, and social networking Internet sites. Multiple roles were identified that supported the groups and that pertained to the drinking event organization, to drinking activities, or group regulation. As the groups reached drunkenness, decision negotiations were replaced by random actions that often exemplified the loss of judgment resulting from alcohol impairment, leading to risky situations. Understanding group dynamics and social roles in drinking groups could inform prevention efforts by identifying new loci of interventions; promoting pro-social roles in the group could encourage peers to become effective agents of prevention within the group.

To Reduce Youthful Binge Drinking: Call an Election in Mexico

Tijuanas loosely enforced age-18 drinking limit and low-priced alcohol entices thousands of young Americans to drink. On two weekends in 1997 and 1998, the Mexican government held elections during which alcohol sales were prohibited from midnight Friday night through 10 a.m. Monday. This study reports the effects of the election closings. To detect changes on two election nights, we analyzed the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) counts and random breath tests of U.S. residents returning from Tijuana. The total prohibition against liquor sales on election Saturday nights was associated with a 71.2% reduction in total pedestrian returnees and a 34.5% reduction on Friday nights with partial closing of bars. Further, results showed that the number of pedestrians with breath alcohol contents (BACs) at 0.08 or higher was reduced during election days. The closing of Tijuanas alcohol establishments reduced the number of border crossers and the BACs of returnees.

Three exploratory studies of college theme parties

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS The objectives of this exploratory research were to (1) explore the characteristics and risks associated with college theme parties, (2) assess differences in risk associated with college theme parties compared to non-theme parties and (3) to assess differences in risk associated with risqué theme parties as compared to non-risqué theme parties. DESIGN AND METHODS We used a mixed methods design. Results are presented from three exploratory studies of alcohol consumption in college theme parties: (1) four qualitative focus groups of students who have attended such events, (2) a web-based survey and (3) a multi-level (observational, survey, breath blood alcohol samples) study of 226 college parties, 29 of which were themed events. Focus group participants included a convenience sample of 17 college students aged 18-24 years; participants for the web survey included a convenience sample of 407 college students; participants for the multi-level study of college parties included 1725 randomly selected individuals at college parties. RESULTS Themes tended to be highly sexualized. Compared to non-themed parties, theme parties have been observed to be more rowdy, louder, involve drinking games, feature kegs and feature hard liquor. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Themed parties are associated with heavy drinking and are consistent with environments sought by heavy drinkers. As a result, themed parties are marked by a greater number of alcohol-related problems. Further research is needed to understand more clearly the risks involved in themed and risqué themed events.