News

National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week October 15-21

NIRSA joins The Bacchus Network and the Inter-Association Task Force on Alcohol in promoting the NCAAW

The Inter-Association Task Force on Alcohol and Other Substance Abuse Issues is a coalition of vital organizations who collaborate on issues relating to substance abuse prevention efforts within the higher education community. Task Force members communicate on key areas of research and programming efforts for student alcohol and other drug issues. As national attention to the drug problem continues to grow, the role of the Inter-Association Task Force has become more important than ever.

National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, October 15-21, is a valuable opportunity for peer education groups to focus campus-wide attention on the alcohol abuse issue. The first few months of the academic year are critical times to convey unique messages about alcohol abuse to all students, new and returning, so that tragedies can be avoided and healthy and safe lifestyles are the norm. NCAAW is valuable in building a year-round program that keeps alcohol abuse prevention at the forefront and assists students in finding support.

On September 18, Kurt Klier, CRSS, University of Maryland, represented NIRSA at the Inter-Association Task Force on Alcohol and Other Substance Abuse Issues meeting in Washington, D.C. At that meeting, seven NIRSA Institutional Members were recognized for running a successful NCAAW program. Two of these, Syracuse University and the University of Missouri-Columbia, each received a $5,000 grant from the Coors Family Brewing Company. Five Honorable Mention campuses who are NIRSA Institutional Members are: Arkansas Tech University, Bowling Green State University, Dickinson State University, Elon University, and the University of Scranton.

The Bacchus Network offers a 56-page Programming Manual, posters, and promotional items for use in conjunction with National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week.

A summary of a model program designed to decrease the rate of binge drinking among intramural and sport club participants on one campus is described in the Research section of this issue.