ST. PAUL -- If parents knew when their college-age sons and daughters were having alcohol or drug problems, a binge drinking epidemic could be slowed, a university student told a Minnesota House committee Monday.
"I personally know several people who would benefit from this bill," Chris Braddock, a Minnesota State University Moorhead sophomore, said of a proposal that would let schools to contact parents. "This will save lives."
Rep. Paul Marquart's bill would allow state colleges and universities to notify students' parents when an alcohol or drug policy or state law is violated. Current law does not appear to allow that, the Dilworth DFL'er said.
House Higher Education Committee members appeared to like the idea and Marquart's proposal is expected to be in an overall college and university bill the committee produces.
Marquart and Susanne Williams, assistant to the MSUM president, said the bill will not cure the binge drinking problem, but it will help.
ADVERTISEMENT
Two recent Fargo-Moorhead deaths attributed to binge drinking brought the issue to the forefront.
Williams told the committee that Midwestern cities with colleges report the worst binge drinking problems -- 12 of the 20 worst communities are in the area. Grand Forks, N.D., is the second worst, and Fargo-Moorhead is No. 20, she said.
"We own this problem," Williams said.
Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Grove City, said he likes the Marquart bill because he has heard from parents who want to know if their children have drug or alcohol problems.
Braddock told of an MSUM student who started with a drinking problem, then graduated to methamphetamine. Had her parents been notified about the situation, he said, the student may not have started using the hard drug.
The Bismarck native, who is the MSUM Student Senate vice president, said he came to the witness table knowing his stuff: "From age 15 to 23, drinking was my life."
