Spring break tour companies use tactics that contribute to excessive drinking among college students, according to an American Medical Association survey released Thursday.
Drinking binges may result in injuries, rape or even death, the study showed. Experts commented on the dangers of binge-drinking in a national teleconference.
Dr. J. Edward Hill, AMA chairman-elect, called the marketing tactics of spring break tours and liquor companies “reckless” and said, “A majority of parents and adults are completely unaware of these marketing practices.”
The poll showed 91 percent of parents said spring break marketing and promotional practices promoting dangerous drinking should cease. Top parental concerns of student spring break trips included having unprotected sex, students driving while intoxicated or with a drunken driver and female students getting raped.
“Unfortunately, spring break is no longer an innocent respite from the rigors of academics — it’s potentially life-threatening,” Hill said. “The tourism and alcohol industries promote heavy drinking and sex, creating an environment that can lead to rape, fatal injuries and death by alcohol poisoning. We agree with parents that we must put an end to these promotions that target students, most of whom are underage.”
Hill said parents must warn their children about the dangers of alcohol.
“Losing a child to alcohol is a senseless tragedy we think can be avoided,” he said.
Frank Guglielmi said he could not agree more. His son was killed in 2000 during a spring break trip to Panama City, Fla. He described the hospital waiting room, which was filled with other parents, and said allowing Andrew to go on the trip is a decision he will regret for the rest of his life.
“Over those days we watched as a steady stream of bleary-eyed parents arrived from all over the country to see their sons or daughters lying in a coma,” Guglielmi recalled. “Many of them never got to see their children before they died. It was devastating. Parents and students need to recognize that there is a dark side to the spring break madness they see on MTV.”
Many tour companies promote spring break destinations to Mexico, where the 18-year-old drinking age is a main attraction. Almost 70 percent of parents said alcohol companies are using spring break in Mexico to introduce underage students to their products.
Guglielmi also said he blames advertisers who target students.
“I have no words to express my anger for the lack of sensitivity to those who seduced those kids,” he said.
UW-Madison was one of 10 universities that participated in the program “A Matter of Degree: The National Effort to Reduce High-Risk Drinking among College Students.” All 10 universities support alternative break programs. This year, 90 UW students will participate in alternative break trips at nine sites around the country.
