A report released by the state Board of Regents shows a decrease in the number of University of Iowa students arrested for alcohol-related offenses as compared with the same time period last year.

A flood of empirical evidence and statistics showers the skeptics of UI’s alcohol-awareness initiatives.

I have to admit, I undoubtedly thought the university’s anti-alcohol programs were public-relation bluffs to improve the administration’s image, but I’ll give a tip of the hat to the improvement.

As it turns out, when compared with January through September 2011, this year’s number of arrests are down — last year there were 1,005 students charged, whereas this year only 334 students were charged.

This is in spite of UI’s deal with Anheuser-Busch, allowing the company to use the Tigerhawk logo in its marketing schemes, plus the increase in police presence downtown.

Plus, in perhaps the biggest surprise of all, the UI was not the regent university with the highest alcohol-related arrest rate: ISU ranked No. 1 with 433 arrests. 

Who can we congratulate for this fantastic news?

Sure, we can pat the respective backs of the officials out there in the Iowa City area trying to make the town less intoxicated.

We could all give a nice hand to the Partnership for Alcohol Safety, or associate directors of public safety, or even the UI Student Government for doing, I don’t know, their jobs.

And, you know what, they deserve a nice golf clap.

But at the end of the glad-handing and ovations to the bureaucracy of alcohol prevention, there is only one group that really matters in this statistical victory: the ones doing the drinking — the students.

So, congratulations, students on improving this university’s reputation one fewer alcohol-related arrest at a time. Tonight, I raise my glass to you.