Campus Community Coalition : FAQ

Q: Does the Campus - Community Coalition only address university student problems?

A: No. The CCC addresses issues of underage and high-risk drinking among all youth throughout Kittitas County, and addresses high-risk drinking among both minors and adults in the county.

Q: Why does Kittitas County need a Campus - Community Coalition?

A: According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey for Kittitas County, nearly 52% of Kittitas County youth ages 18-24 reported binge drinking in 2001. In 2002, nearly 18% of 12th graders reported having been drunk at high school during the past year. From 1990 to 1999, there was a 33% increase in the number of alcohol-related hospitalizations in the county. In 2003, 29.3 per 1,000 Kittitas County adults (aged 18 and older) were arrested for alcohol-related crimes – nearly three times more than the statewide number of 11.8 per 1,000 statewide. Additionally, 6.31 per 1,000 county children aged 10-14 were arrested for alcohol or drug related violations, compared with 3.07 per 1000 statewide. Nearly 12 per 100 deaths in the county were alcohol or drug-related. Although the proportion of underage drinkers has not changed significantly over the past decade, the County is finding that children are starting to drink at a younger age and drinking patterns are becoming more extreme

In 2004, 19.3% of Central students reported having 5-6 drinks the last time they partied, and 5.1% reported having 5 – 8 drinks in one evening during the past two weeks. CWU Police reported that alcohol offenses increased 73% from 2001 to 2003 and liquor law arrests more than doubled during that same period. In 2004, 10% of the Ellensburg Police Department’s calls for service were alcohol-related, including DUIs, disorderly conduct citations, noise complaints, and other alcohol-related citations. The Ellensburg Police Department affirmed that most of the domestic violence, simple assault, and property damage/malicious mischief reports were alcohol-related. A large portion of calls for service was related to underage and high-risk drinking.

Research has proven the effectiveness of community coalitions working together to solve alcohol and substance abuse problems.

Q: Who is on the Campus - Community Coalition?

A:The Coalition is comprised of a broad spectrum of university and community stakeholders who are concerned about the impacts of alcohol abuse. Members include representatives from city and county government, law enforcement, probation services, the courts, prevention and treatment agencies, public school employees, local property owners, bar/tavern/retail store owners, county health department, liquor control board, concerned citizens, CWU students and faculty, and university staff from campus police and safety, student affairs, campus life, student housing, and counseling, health and wellness. A detailed list of members is available on the CCC website, at http://www.cwu.edu/~ccc/partners.html

Q: How did the CCC get started?

A: The CCC was inaugurated in May 2004 under the leadership of CWU President Jerilyn McIntyre and former Ellensburg City Mayor Ed Barry, to reduce high-risk and underage drinking at the university, in Ellensburg, and throughout Kittitas County. President McIntyre, a member of the U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Presidents Leadership Group, had made a commitment to make reducing alcohol abuse a priority on her campus. Mayor Barry affirmed that reducing alcohol abuse was a priority for the city as well.

Prior to creating the Campus-Community Coalition, efforts at the campus and community levels to reduce the impacts of high-risk drinking had been in place for many years, but the collaboration that occurred between the city and the university provided the impetus needed to develop a comprehensive program of environmental management strategies to change the culture of alcohol use.

The Coalition is committed to changing practices, policies and expectations within the community to reduce underage and high-risk drinking, using a collaborative approach that is supported by research. Research has shown that traditional approaches to reduce high-risk drinking, such as education and alcohol awareness activities, are necessary but insufficient when used alone. Working together, the Coalition is developing community solutions to community problems.

Q: What is high-risk drinking?

A: High-risk drinking is the quantity and/or frequency of consumption that significantly increases the risk of addiction or other negative physical, legal, personal, and academic consequences.

High-risk drinking is often referred to as binge drinking, which is, as defined by the NIAAA National Advisory Council (2004): A pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 gram per deciliter (g/dL) or above. For the typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming 5 or more drinks (male), or 4 or more drinks (female), in about 2 hours. A "drink" refers to half an ounce of alcohol (e.g., one 12-oz. beer, one 5-oz. glass of wine, or one 1.5-oz. shot of distilled spirits).

Binge drinking is distinct from"risky" drinking (reaching a peak BAC between 0.05 gram percent and 0.08 gram percent) and a "bender" (two or more days of sustained heavy drinking). For some individuals (e.g., older people or people taking other drugs or certain medications), the number of drinks needed to reach a binge-level BAC is lower than for the "typical adult." People with risk factors for the development of alcoholism have increased risk with any level of alcohol consumption, even that below a "risky" level. For pregnant women, any drinking presents risk to the fetus.

Q: What are some of the consequences of high-risk drinking?

A: Consequences may include damage to self, such as:
  ¤Blackouts/memory loss;
  ¤fatal and nonfatal injuries, including alcohol poisoning, falls, drowning, and automobile crashes;
  ¤illness;
  ¤unprotected sex that could lead to a sexually transmitted disease or an unwanted pregnancy;
  ¤missed classes, falling grades, and academic failur;
  ¤involvement with the police/an arrest record;
  ¤accidental death and death by suicide;
  ¤short-term health consequences such as hangovers, nausea, and vomiting;
  ¤alcohol dependence;
  ¤longer-term health consequences of prolonged, heavy alcohol use may include reduced resistance to infection and increased vulnerability problems such as cirrhosis of the liver
  ¤missed opportunites to participated in social, athletic, and cultural activities that are part of school life (college, high school, middle school).

Consequences may also include damage to others, such as:   ¤property damage
  ¤fights/assaults
  ¤domestice violence
  ¤risky sexual behavior, sexual violence/rape
  ¤involvement with the police
  ¤interruptin others' sleep and study time
  ¤DUI, traffice accidents & fatalities

Q: Some say that 'kids are going to drink anyway;' isn't it better to let them drink at my house where they are safe?

A: No. Underage drinking is illegal and unacceptable; binge or high-risk drinking is dangerous and unacceptable. When we say we know that everybody does it and we know they will anyway, we are implicitly giving kids permission to drink. That is the wrong message.

Q: What are the active committees of the CCC?

A:Committees include:

• Activities Committee - supports the identification and publicity of alcohol-free social and recreational opportunities.
• Consequences Committee - reviews and compares sanctions and develops strategies to enhance the effectiveness of policies, sanctions, and consequences relative to violations of alcohol laws
• Hospitality Resource Alliance – an alliance including bar, tavern, and alcohol retail outlet owners - works to reduce alcohol product availability to minors, alcohol consumption by minors, and overservice to intoxicated individuals, and to promote consistency among alcohol licensees through involvement with the alliance.
• Neighborhood Relations Committee – develops activities and materials to educate students regarding state and local ordinances, to help students be good neighbors, and to educate landlords/property owners on their rights and responsibilities
• Education Committee – fosters, through public forums and other educational activities, a social, academic, and residential environment that supports healthy behavior.
• Public Relations Committee - is the communications vehicle for the CCC, develop clear, consistent messages and providing the "voice" for all committees, promoting high visibility.

Q: How can I get involved in the Campus-Community Coalition?

A: Contact CCC Coordinator, Lynne Harrison, at 509-963-3240 or email lynneh@cwu.edu