Boise State University’s latest safety report shows a sharp decline in students violating liquor laws.
The number of alcohol violations recorded by BSU, which includes underage drinking, has steadily decreased from 209 in 2023 to 87 last year, or a 60% drop. Under the Jeanne Clery Campus Act, the report must publish campus crime statistics yearly and is mandatory for institutions that receive federal student aid.
Associate Director of Residence Life Ryan Vilfer said the latest data on alcohol incidents show awareness campaigns can work.
“Year after year, we're still focused on educating our students as well as following up with any students and helping them learn healthy behaviors, if they do result in any type of alcohol violation,” he said.
The college provides resources to parents and has partnered to offer dry tailgates outside residential halls.
“[The events] focus on really supporting and normalizing the decision to abstain from drinking,” Vilfer said.
About 3,200 of Boise State's 28,000 students live on campus. The majority of them are freshmen and he added they may not be familiar with college policies and expectations.
“There's some learning that can be done,” Vilfer said. “And so sometimes at the beginning of the school year, there could be, I would say, some need for awareness and education for some students.”
These statistics only include incidents on university grounds but may reflect a broader cultural shift. Gallup reports alcohol consumption among youth has been declining for two decades. In 2025, 18- to 34-year-olds reported drinking less than any other demographic in the country.
