By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Around this time every year, freshmen at universities allow themselves or are forced by seniors to drink heavily during initiation and orientation sessions. But the price they have to pay for the booze culture is costly ― and sometimes deadly.
This year was no exception, with two collegians already dead from excessive drinking bouts. Both students lost their footing and fell to their deaths after drinking bouts during orientation or welcoming gatherings ― one at a university in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Wednesday, and the other in Incheon, Feb. 28. Two or three students drink themselves to death every year, according to statistics from the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs.
However, many collegians don't seem to mind, and some seniors are even eager to hand down recipes for ``poktanju'' or Korean-style boilermakers, to freshmen.
``To make the emerald liquor, mix soju, beer and a sports drink at a 1:1:1 ratio. Though not sweet, it's not disgusting to drink,'' said a member of Seoul National University's Student Association in a new instructive guidebook for freshmen. He also introduced recipes for other boilermakers.
Mindful of increasing public criticism of the guidebook, the association said it was just to give examples of university life, not to promote booze culture on campus.
According to a survey conducted by job portal Career, 54 percent of university students said they were forced to drink against their will. Most forced drinking during welcoming parties for freshmen, accounting for 65 percent of cases.
``Though the seniors do not compel drinking directly, the mood encourages drinking,'' said Kwon Soon-choul, a freshman at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) said. ``I have a low tolerance and drinking became one of the biggest obstacles in my new university life.''
To prevent drinking mishaps, Health Minister Jeon Jae-hee invited 15 students from self-restraint clubs Feb 24. She asked the students to create sound drinking culture, saying ``Korean society matches drinking with one's overall ability. It shouldn't.''
The ministry had been instructing moderate drinking communities at universities since 2008 and there are 18 clubs across the nation with more than 700 members, including Yonsei University and Korea University, promoting self-control among students.
These students have devised ideas to reduce binge drinking such as making user created content (UCC) to prevent excessive drinking and enjoying school festivals alcohol-free.
Some schools are joining campaigns to do away with alcohol-soaked initiation rituals. ``We do drink during orientation, but older students don't demand it of new students,'' Cho Se-bin, a freshman at Sungshin Women's University, said. ``I just had a glass of beer throughout the drinking bout.''
Kim Kwang-kee of Inje University Center for Alcohol Studies regards drinking accidents as man-made. ``Schools should educate students and propose alternatives to drinking to reduce accidents caused by alcohol abuse and stop liquor companies from promoting alcoholic beverages around campuses,'' Kim said.
``Drinking is not everything. University students should find healthier campus lifestyles,'' said Kwon Da-ye, a sophomore at Ewha Womans University.
meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr
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