Alcohol abuse wider issue: Hayne

Harlene Hayne.
Harlene Hayne.
University of Otago vice-chancellor Prof Harlene Hayne yesterday rejected any suggestion the university was contributing to alcohol abuse problems, saying excessive drinking was a society-wide problem.

But whereas once most binge drinking was by male students, female students had in recent years "achieved equal rights at the bar and their binge drinking is just as concerning as their male counterparts".

Prof Hayne, an internationally respected psychologist, was commenting in a talk titled "A Psychologist in the Clock Tower", at the Otago Museum's Hutton Theatre.

In a wide-ranging talk to more than 180 people, she joked she had sometimes been termed a "temperance queen" when, in fact, she did not oppose all drinking.

She favoured sensible drinking that avoided the kind of risky behaviour, physical damage and negative effects on academic study which resulted from binge drinking.

She was promoting a "half the drinking, twice the fun" approach.

Drinking to excess, including among some high school pupils, was a problem for all of society.

"We're all in this together. It's not about preaching about it."

About 120,000 people lived in the greater Dunedin area and there were about 400 liquor outlets, which was "probably enough".

A more liberal approach to liquor supply as well as technological changes meant previous "normal breaks" in drinking had gone, leading to increased drinking.

Research showed drinking problems among Otago students were similar to those at other New Zealand and Australian universities.

She spoke to every student who came to the university's attention after being found to have been at serious risk through excessive drinking. This averaged about two to three people a week.

Reflecting on her first year as Otago vice-chancellor, Prof Hayne said her primary aim was not "punishment" of students who had drunk too much, but to emphasise "we really do care about them".

After her talk, an audience member asked if the advent of the student loan scheme meant students now had more access to money that could be spent on alcohol.

Prof Hayne said various other changes, such as the advent of automatic teller machines and eftpos, rather than the loan scheme itself, had a big effect.

"There's no shortage of expendable cash."

Before the advent of ATMs and eftpos, students had to decide before the banks closed on Friday how much money they would need for the weekend, including for drinking.

But money machines and credit cards meant people could access cash to continue drinking almost 24 hours a day.

Important research into the extent and effects of excessive drinking among students had been undertaken by several investigators at Otago University.

And, as vice-chancellor, she was also able to draw on scientific research which showed that until at least the age of 22, the brain was still developing, including the prefrontal cortex, where several key functions, including judgement and impulse control, took place.

• Prof Hayne was giving the annual winter lecture of the Otago branch of the New Zealand Federation of Graduate Women.

 

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