College is a time of firsts—often, it’s the first time teenagers are living away from home, with freedom to set their own schedules.  And for some students, those new experiences include the first time drinking alcohol.

To find out exactly how big a role drinking plays in college life in Maryland—and what harm it’s causing—10 college presidents joined forces with public health experts.  They’ve formed the Maryland Collaborative to Reduce College Drinking and Related Practices, which has released a report on the status of college drinking in Maryland.

One of the people involved is Amelia Arria.  She’s a professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, and a contributor to the report.  Sheilah talks with her, along with an administrator at one of the colleges in the coalition.  Jeff Graham is the Associate Dean of Students at Frostburg State University.  He’s also chair of the president’s alcohol task force there.  We also hear from Jenn Ruckel, a senior at Loyola University of Maryland.  She’s also the editor in chief of Loyola’s newspaper, The Greyhound, and oversaw a recent issue on alcohol use on campus.