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More Students In Amherst Treated After Drinking

Amherst officials are reporting an increase in the number of intoxicated students requiring medical attention at the three college and university campuses in the town.

According to the Hampshire Gazette, fire department ambulances handled 84 calls related to excessive drinking during the fall semester, compared to 67 over the same period last year. Most of the calls came at the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts.

Fire chief Walter Nelson says he's troubled by signs that kids are drinking larger quantities of hard alcohol.

Police said there were 208 arrests or summonses for minors in possession of alcohol in the fall, up from 197 the previous year.

But there was also some improvement in students' off-campus behavior, with fewer citations issued for things such as open containers and loud noise from parties.

This program aired on December 20, 2013. The audio for this program is not available.

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