Raise Your Voice! with BACCHUS for National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week
In October, college and university students will join with their peers on more than 800 campuses across the country to promote National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week (NCAAW), October 16-22. During NCAAW, students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of awareness and educational events, all designed by the campus’ peer education group to reinforce personal responsibility and respect for laws and policies when it comes to the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
The BACCHUS Network™, a nonprofit organization that addresses health and safety issues through peer education on college campuses, is proud to announce the release of the Raise Your Voice! You Can Save a Life! Campaign for this year’s NCAAW.
“NCAAW is a focused event for campuses to address alcohol abuse and impaired driving prevention efforts,” said Janet Cox, President and CEO of The BACCHUS Network™.
The 2011 Campaign “Raise Your Voice! You Can Save A Life!” theme contains a message of student empowerment through decision-making that is safe and healthy. It encourages students to take care of friends, to call for help if concerned about alcohol poisoning and to take proactive steps to stay safe in social situations where alcohol may be present. The messages support personal responsibility and practical safety tips about avoiding excessive drinking, not driving after drinking and not riding with a driver who has been drinking.
“Ultimately, campuses need to educate students about excessive drinking and consequences that can occur on personal, academic and campus community levels. All college and university offices need to empower students to take responsibility for their own decisions and the campus environment when it comes to alcohol. Participation in NCAAW helps students and a variety of college administrators work together to increase awareness and strengthen year-round prevention efforts. We have to engage and empower students to take care of themselves and each other.”
College administrators play a vital role in working with students to educate them about alcohol. “We need to do a better job of showing college students - particularly new students—that most of their peers are not abusing alcohol and most are making healthy and safe decisions,” said Andrea Zelinko, Director of Alcohol Abuse and Impaired Driving Prevention Initiatives.
BACCHUS aims to get people to take responsibility for campus policies enforcement, to educate students about lower-risk drinking and to help them develop the skills to adopt lower-risk drinking behaviors, including the choice to not drink. It’s important to inform students that the majority of their peers are engaging in healthy choices and responsible behavior when it comes to alcohol. From there, changes in attitude and behavior will hopefully occur.
“Students want to fit in and follow campus norms. If we incorrectly lead them to believe that everyone is getting drunk on a regular basis, then that’s what they will do. Most students are making good decisions.
For more information about BACCHUS and their Raise Your Voice! You Can Save a Life! campaign visit, bacchusnetwork.com.
For additional programming for NCAAW, check out our alcohol programming speakers HERE.
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