As of Oct. 3, 17 students have been transported to Evangelical Community Hospital for alcohol related incidents including nine first-years and one non-student, split as nine males and eight females. At this time in 2015, 37 students had been transported, sparking University wide conversations on alcohol abuse, including a Bucknell Student Government (BSG) talk titled “One Too Many: How Much Will It Take?”

BSG’s discussion, co-sponsored by the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council, centered on the unusually high number of hospitalizations and blood-alcohol level, the risks of alcohol abuse, and ways to change drinking culture on and off campus.

While any transported student is one too many, the statistic has been cut in half since 2015, potentially reflecting some improvement in the past two years. At this time in 2014, there were 23 alcohol related transports, increasing to 37 in 2015, falling to 22 transports in 2016, decreasing again to 17 this semester.

“I would hope that had a positive impact, but I’m not going to claim that as truth. [in reference to the 2015 BSG discussion] These numbers are somewhat amorphous,” President John Bravman said.

While statistics are an indication of campus trends, the official statistics do not always include information on all student alcohol related hospitalizations; for instance, students transported by other students or information protected by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

“I think it’s true that our information flow from Evan[gelical] Emergency Room has dropped off to probably where it should have been because of HIPAA laws, so I think those numbers, in this particular case that you suggest, are gratifying, but I can’t claim any victory there,” Bravman said. “If someone’s going to the emergency room, that doesn’t mean they’re near death but that means there’s a significant problem and that alone is of concern to me.”