Parents and university officials are trying to develop new ways to stop Minnesota college students from drinking and dying.
The latest series of drinking deaths started in October 2007 when 21-year-old Mankato student Amanda Jax was found dead after celebrating her birthday.
A month later, alcohol is believed to have played a role in the death of another Mankato student, 22-year-old Rissa Amen-Rief.
Winona State University student Jenna Foellmi's body was found in December in what police call a classic case of binge drinking.
Now the latest case happened this week with the death of 20-year-old St. Cloud State University student Brian Threet.
The battle to reduce binge drinking has been waged across the state for decades. After an alcohol-fueled riot at Minnesota State University-Mankato in 2003, officials there took several steps to reduce it.
One campaign involved accurately informing students just how many of their peers drink in moderation or not at all.
"When you ask students, 'How much other students drink?' They typically vastly overestimate that, and that leads to a pressure within an environment to probably drink more than some students might drink otherwise," said Mike Gillilan interim Associate Vice President for Student Life at St. Cloud State.
Gillilan is looking for innovative solutions. He'd like St. Cloud bars to make changes.
"Early morning drinking, drink specials and ... drinking games that are happening at some of the establishments," said Gillilan as he listed practices he thinks may encourage binge drinking.
Among the drink promotions he criticizes is at a local bar sponsoring a regular drinking competition where the prize is a keg of beer.
The University might have to lobby for a new city ordinance to make changes off-campus.
Another idea requires a change in state law.
Currently Minnesota's public universities are not allowed to inform parents when their child has violated a campus alcohol policy. It's not surprising that the proposal to change that has support from many parents and opposition from many students.
"I think to some extent it might work," said Shirley Chin, a parent.
"It should be their mistake and they should have to deal with it and their parents shouldn't have to know unless they want to tell them," said Brandi Masso, students at St. Cloud State.
Parent notification is just one of the controversial options.
"It's a tool many would like to have in the kit," said Gillilan.
The proposal to inform parents about student alcohol and drug violations on campus would affect universities throughout the state if it passes. Federal law already allows it.
For Lisa Kiava's story about high-risk drinking, go to http://wcco.com/local/binge.drinking.universities.2.625774.html
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