While the month of March brings with it the NCAA Tournament — one of the biggest television events of the calendar year — it also brings a higher magnitude of madness, and not just on the court.
In a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, college students attending tournament-participating universities reported a 20% increase in binge drinking compared to their peers at colleges that weren’t involved in the tournament.
“I think there’s anecdotal evidence that there’s more activity in the Logan neighborhood,” said Kylie Pybus, Gonzaga University’s director for the Office of Health Promotion.
While there is no specific data study done on the Logan neighborhood and GU students in particular, the overarching evidence of alcohol and drug-related incidents rising during the NCAA Tournament should warrant attention.
The Office of Health Promotion, with a new team this school year, has a mission statement that says the office’s role is to “foster students' well-being through proactive, non-judgemental, and inclusive public health principles and practices.”
Pybus, Health Educator Kimberly Stanfield and Wellbeing Health Educator Emily Albert form a trio that aims to inform and aid students about how to better go about handling situations that involve substances like alcohol or drugs. In partnership with GU's Resolution Center, the health office holds educational alcohol and cannabis classes while also owning and maintaining a Collegiate Recovery Community house located at 1320 N. Dakota St. The house contains two study rooms, a zen space and a kitchen.
Alcohol and drug consumption isn’t the only problematic tendency for college students during the NCAA Tournament. With 67 games played over the duration of the tournament, sports gambling levels also surge.
A survey conducted by the NCAA states that 67% of students living on campus engage in sports betting, with 41% of those students gambling on their own school’s team.
Another study done by The Conversation found that more than 25% of college students have used their financial aid to gamble, and that “college-age” gamblers are more than two to four times more likely to become pathological gamblers than the adult population.
Gambling is linked to alcohol and drug consumption, with a study from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions reporting that individuals who gamble are more likely to engage in heavy alcohol and drug use than those who refrain. According to the study, nearly half of the individuals with gambling problems also had a history of alcohol use disorder.
GU's health office believes it best to follow its C.A.R.E. acronym for those who know somebody battling this addictive path during big events like March Madness: create a distraction, ask directly, refer to an expert and enlist others to help.
During a big game, it can be tough for students to not only check on their friends, but their own body. Despite plenty of tips and tricks on the web, the health office finds it best for students to be honest with how they feel and go from there.
“There’s a lot of old wives' tales about, ‘Oh, do this, or do that,’ but ultimately, it’s really about trusting your body and being familiar with where you are,” Stanfield said. “Alcohol is a depressant. Let’s say, for example, you had a pretty significant athletic event earlier that week, or you were sick, maybe you just had midterms, your body’s even more fatigued and it’s even more depressed. You add another depressant on top of that, and alcohol is going to absorb and affect you more quickly than it might on any given day, so being familiar with how your body feels is more important than calculating your [blood-alcohol limit] or following advice you find on the internet.”
With this in mind, it’s also important to take care of the controllable elements before a drinking event. Making sure to stay hydrated and well-nourished are two keys to safe inebriation, but also having a friend to keep you in check — especially if binge drinking — will help to stave off from incidents of overconsumption.
“It’s really about being aware and preparing,” Stanfield said. “We do have strategies to reduce your risks of negative outcomes: stay hydrated, alternate alcoholic beverages with nonalcoholic beverages, make sure you’re eating a balance of fat, fiber and protein, sticking to one kind of alcohol, have a designated driver and stay with the same group of friends.”
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 49% of college students choose to consume alcohol — 42.11% for first-year students at GU, according to the university's health office — meaning that while plenty of students partake, there are also those out there who don’t, giving intoxicated students sober friends to help.
“It’s important for students to know that about 40% of students choose not to drink, and to know that some students are choosing not to use substances and are able to help care for a friend and provide support,” Pybus said.
Students keeping themselves safe during this month of madness only helps in keeping the atmosphere light and fun, so next time students crack a couple beers or light a joint when watching basketball, they should take care of themselves and C.A.R.E. for others when needed.
