Alcohol Education
Over consumption of alcohol among college students is a serious problem. Students generally do not fully understand the effects of alcohol - they succumb easily to peer-pressure, and are unable to handle the new freedom living away from home brings.
Alcohol is a drug that acts as a depressant on the central nervous and respiratory systems. Approximately 9,000,000 Americans are addicted to alcohol, making it the most serious drug problem in the United States.
Signs of Alcohol Abuse:
- Use of alcohol during the class day
- Missed course work because of drinking
- Drinking when there is an important reason not to
- Significant changes in mood or behavior
- Becoming violent when drinking
- Drinking more than friends
- Drinking alone
- Drinking to intoxication
- Trouble with police or university officials because of drinking
- Drinking to escape
- Expressed concern about drinking from others (often met with denial of an alcohol problem)
- Blackouts and/or loss of memory while drinking
- Drinking is the primary reason for getting together
What to do:
If you recognize any of these signs in yourself or a friend, you should try to get help. This can be very difficult, but it is necessary if they are to control their problem.
- Select an appropriate time and place
- Let them know you are genuinely concerned
- Be direct, don't beat around the bush
- Describe specific behaviors, don't evaluate
- Offer to accompany them to an appropriate office so they can discuss their alcohol use and get assistance
- Be prepared to encounter excuses, broken promises, challenges, attempts to redirect the conversation, and passing the behavior off as no big deal
- Always leave them with a telephone number to call for assistance.
Education and Awareness
Fatal Vision Goggles are training tools used to visually demonstrate various levels of impairments and the dangers of drinking excessive, and impaired driving.
Nationally, about 30% of traffic fatalities involve drunk drivers. Last year 11, 773 Americans were killed in alcohol related crashes. About three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives. A first time drunk driver, on average, has driven drunk 87 times prior to being arrested.
The demonstration of the Goggles often includes the wearer attempting to throw tennis balls back and forth to other students, attempting to walk a straight line, as well as other various skills to demonstrate the difficulty of performing basic tasks while wearing the Goggles.