TO THE EDITOR:
As a freshman, David Shannon had a life full of promise and many opportunities that he had yet to experience. His life came to an abrupt halt from an accidental fall where alcohol consumption was involved.
With his recent death, we are reminded of the continuing issue of excessive alcohol consumption that occurs among students at UNC.
Binge drinking is not just a campus issue; it is also a community issue. According to the Centers for Disease Control, overconsumption of alcohol costs the U.S. $224 billion in hospital visits, loss of productivity, and crime, which averages out to $1.90 per drink.
While there have been improvements in safety measures, events like Homegrown Halloween encourage binge drinking before the students walk over to Franklin Street.
Campus initiatives will not be enough to reduce binge drinking at UNC. We need to change the town environment and implement policies that discourage binge-drinking behaviors in bars.
Collaboration between community members of Chapel Hill and the University must address these major, complex concerns of excessive alcohol consumption now. The problem cannot be ignored any longer.
Jessica Boten
Graduate student
Health behavior
School of Public Health
