Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.trends,americast.usa-today.trends From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: trends Mon, Sep 21 1992 Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 04:39:57 EDT Message-ID: 09-21 0000 DECISIONLINE: Trends & Marketing USA TODAY Update Sept. 21, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network HEAVY DRINKING EQUALS LOW MARKS: College students who drink the most alcohol earn the lowest grades and students at small schools drink more than those at large ones, a major new report says. The Department of Education-funded survey of 56,361 students at 78 colleges (56 four-year; 22 two-year), Alcohol and Drugs on American College Campuses, is the largest, most comprehensive of its kind. (For more, see special Alcohol package below.) NEW TECHNIQUE IMPROVES IMPLANTS: A new surgical technique for inserting saline breast implants makes them more comfortable, better looking and less likely to mask cancer, an expert reports today. U.S. doctors increasingly are putting the implants under the pectoral muscle, not in front of it, says Dr. Richard Mladick, Virginia Beach, Va. He compared results for 1,327 women who got saline implants in the past 17 years. SALINE MODELS ARE ONLY OPTION: Saline models are the major option left for breast enlargement. Dr. Richard Mladick will present new evidence today to the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons in Washington, D.C. The technique of inserting the implant underneath the pectoral muscle instead of in front of it provides: less tissues hardening; less wrinkling; and better cancer detection. GETTING INTO COLLEGE SIMPLIFIED: Many students and parents know how tough it is to get into college these days. "Opening College Doors" (USA TODAY:Harper Collins, $13) is a new book by that takes students and parents through the college admissions process. Included is a step-by-step look at how applications are judged. The book is due in stores next week or can be ordered by calling 1-800-331-3761. SAN FRANCISCO LIGHTS UP: In August, San Francisco became the first city to allow marijuana use for medical reasons. People with cancer and AIDS are growing their own. Busting seriously ill people with marijuana is now the "lowest priority" for police. Monday activists will rally at Food and Drug Administration headquarters in Washington, D.C. to protest the lack of legal access to marijuana. HONDA INCREASES PRICES: Honda is raising 1993 model prices an average 2.7% or $482 from 1992. Honda says the increase is in line with most other Japanese automakers. The company says rising costs and the strong Japanese yen made the increase necessary. The Accord DX coupe will be $13,750, up from $13,300. The EX sedan will cost $19,720, up from $19,270. And the LX sedan will be $17,300 up from $16,850. SANTE FE TOPS VACATION LIST: Sante Fe is the world's favorite vacation destination, according to the annual readers' poll of Conde Nast Traveler, out this week. The high desert, high-culture New Mexico city topped defending champ San Francisco. Santa Fe wasn't on the ballot, but won with write-ins. More than 24,000 readers responded. San Francisco, tops for four straight years, finished second. TOP 4 AIRLINES RULE THE SKIES: In July, the nation's four largest carriers - American, United, Delta and Northwest - controlled 72.14% of all domestic passenger traffic. According to Avitas, the airline consulting firm, that's more than six market-share points higher than July 1991. In 1985, the nation's five largest carriers owned 41% of the domestic passenger traffic. UNCF SETS UP SCHOLARSHIPS: The United Negro College Fund has launched a $5 million "Ladders of Hope" scholarship program for residents of south central Los Angeles. UNCF will provide full-ride scholarships for "non-traditional students" - teens who may not have high grade point averages but show potential for succeeding in college. They can be used only at 41 private, historically black colleges. DOLPHINS NOT PART OF BIRTH: The first of six British women who had hoped to give birth among dolphins in the Red Sea instead delivered a baby boy Saturday at an Israeli hospital. Plans to deliver in a glass-walled pool set among dolphins were canceled after Israel's Health Ministry ruled that it was an unlicensed facility. Doctor Gowri Motha had hoped that children born among dolphins would be more in tune with nature. COLGATE OFFERS PUMP ALTERNATIVE: Colgate-Palmolive no longer wants to pump you up. The No. 2 toothpaste seller hopes to squeeze rival Crest's hold on the $1.3 billion-a-year market. Colgate is unveiling an environmentally friendly tube to hit stores in October. Colgate says the Stand-Up uses 20% less packaging than tradition tubes, and 70% less packaging than hard, plastic pumps. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON ALCOHOL: SMALL SCHOOLS CONSUME MORE: The Department of Education survey found students with grade point averages of D or F consumed an average of 11 drinks per week; those with average GPA's of A consumed an average of three drinks per week. Students at schools with less than 2,500 enrollment consumed about seven drinks per week; schools at schools of 20,000 or more had about five drinks per week. ACTIVITIES ARE AN OPTION: Study co-author Philip Meilman of the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va., said characteristics such as diversity of activities on large campuses or lack thereof on small campuses may be a factor. Nearly 40% of students said they didn't drink at all in an average week, comparable to findings in studies of the general adult population, Meilman says. MALES ARE MORE LIKELY TO BINGE: Male students were bigger binge drinkers (consumed five or more alcoholic drinks in one setting) than females, with 27% having binged three or more times the past two weeks vs. 13% of females. "(Binge drinking) is most related to violence, sexual assaults and drunk driving on college campuses," says co-author Cheryl Presley of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. ALCOHOL IS TOP CAMPUS DRUG: Alcohol is the drug of choice on college campuses, with 86% of students reporting use in the past year and 45% saying they drank weekly or more often. Average consumption equaled five drinks per week. When it comes to other drugs, 11.4% of students reported marijuana use once per month or more frequently; 6% reported cocaine use once in the past year. FINDINGS ARE ENCOURAGING: The researchers say they are encouraged that 33% of students said they'd prefer an alcohol-free environment on campus and 87% would prefer a drug-free environment. Among other findings: 36% of students said they drove while intoxicated during the past year; 28% had blackouts; 22% said they had a hangover six or more times; 12% said they believed they had a substance abuse problem. (End of package.) Trends & Marketing Editor: Kate Coughlin. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM