College Class to Prevent Binge Drinking

Do the movies reflect real life or do they cause events to happen?

This is a deep question that could engender discussions with hefty input from both sides. When it comes to drinking on campus, one wonders. Has it been depicted in movies so much because it happens, or has it happened because people are imitating what they saw in the movies?

In any case, there’s a great program that has been developed called “AlcoholEdu.” AlcoholEdu is being used by more than 500 campuses in the United States, with some success. In fact, a study in the Journal of Health Communication in 2010 reported that students who completed the course had a significantly lower level of alcohol usage.

Here’s how it works. Before classes even begin here at the University of Oregon in Eugene, all students ages 21 and under are required to take AlcoholEdu as an online course. The first part of the course takes about two hours. After school begins and they have had a couple of weeks to be on campus, students must complete a short follow-up module.

The purpose of the course is to discourage underage and binge drinking. Many students come to campus with a great sense of freedom. For the first time in their lives, they are not living with their parents and now their schedules and lives are their own, to do as they please. Everyone has heard stories about the drinking that happens on campus, and it’s enticing to get involved. It sure looks like fun, and for kids who feel like colts just let out of a restricting corral, fun is what it’s all about.

AlcoholEdu for College strives to give new students a more accurate view of campus culture so that they will make better decisions about alcohol. When they learn through this course that about a third of college students do not drink at all, and that another large percentage only drinks a small amount, they begin to realize that they do not have to drink in order to fit in.

The course gives a lot of details about how alcohol affects the body, and the mind. It explains about the toxicity that can lead to death as well as disease and other difficulties. It explains how alcohol first affects the judgment center of the brain and so people make decisions that they would never make if they were not impaired. It tells how alcohol affects the perceptions and therefore the behaviors and choices.

One area that is especially mentioned is that of sexual behavior. Students learn how alcohol may lead to risky sex and sexual assault.

Overall, it’s tantamount to sitting each of them down and giving them a good amount of information so that they can make better decisions for their lives.