From a journalistic perspective, your coverage of CNI’s annual meeting on alcohol issues was quite disappointing but, sadly, not unusual. Often the Herald seems to cover campus alcohol issues with snide commentary on isolated remarks rather than giving the issues the serious consideration they deserve.

I have some suggestions on topics for future articles, which perhaps could be accompanied by essays from two students with opposing viewpoints:

How does drinking at the University of Wisconsin compare to drinking on other campuses around the country, and what accounts for the differences?

What are the pros and cons of the current legal drinking age, according to scientific research?

To what extent does local alcohol-related crime and violence involve UW-Madison students as perpetrators or victims, and what can be done to address this problem?

Does the university have a legal and ethical obligation to provide a safe environment for students? If so, to what extent does binge drinking threaten student safety, and could the university be doing more to address it?

How much money do area businesses make selling alcohol to students? To what extent do area bars altruistically provide fun for students vs. prey on students for profit? Are there parallels with the tobacco industry?

According to UW PACE data, 28 percent of students self-report a pattern of negative consequences of drinking that would seem to qualify them for diagnoses of alcohol abuse. What are the implications for campus life?

What are the impacts of binge drinking on campus-area businesses and neighbors? Ethically, do the university and its students have an obligation to be good neighbors?

This kind of coverage would help elevate the discussion of alcohol issues on campus and bring the Herald more of the journalistic integrity that I hope it aspires to.

Sincerely,
Richard L. Brown, MD, MPH
Associate Professor
UW Department of Family Medicine