MCTCabrini College has recently been awarded an $11,500 grant by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to prevent underage and high-risk alcohol use.
Cabrini was one of the 65 organizations throughout the state to receive a portion of more than $700,000 in funding. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $11,500.
A press release by the PLCB said, “The 30 college and university grants will use environmental management strategies to eliminate underage and high-risk use.
These strategies include enforcement efforts, social norms campaigns, Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS), counseling training and activities and college alcohol risk assessments of the campus and surrounding areas to identify issues leading to alcohol problems.”
“Youth are more creative than ever in their attempts to get alcohol and drink alcohol in ways that jeopardize their lives,” said PLCB Chairman P.J. Stapleton in the press release.
“Strategies supporting a local environment that does not accept underage drinking and high-risk college drinking will reduce the willingness of young people to engage in such activities.”
Cabrini College and the Office of Health and Wellness have received a grant for the past two years including an $8,000 award the previous year.
“The funds that Cabrini received will be used to continue our campus and community coalition with the goal of preventing our students from participating in underage and high-risk drinking,” said Chris Hyson, the director of health and wellness education.
In 2005 Cabrini formed a campus committee called the Partnership for Alcohol Education that meets monthly to discuss alcohol related issues, opportunities for collaborations, and alcohol research and education. The committee has revised alcohol policies, hired an alcohol and drug counselor and increased the number of substance-free social events on campus.
“I strongly believe that there are a large number of students that are responsible with alcohol but there are still handfuls that are irresponsible. The minority can cause problems for the entire campus,” said Diipali Figgles, a freshman political science major.
“I feel that there are already a large amount of alcohol-related information and programs that inform students about alcohol consumption such as the mandatory program of alcohol education taken by all freshmen.”
Another important program running through the health and wellness center is the social norms marketing campaign, “which promotes the actual healthy and protective behaviors that the majority of students are engaging in to correct misperceptions and shape positive behavior change via posters, table tents, promotional items, and more,” as seen on the Cabrini health and wellness web page.
Social norms advertisements are placed around campus including in Founders Hall, resident halls and in the cafeteria. The campaign provides students with information regarding alcohol. For example 91.5 percent of Cabrini students have not had their academics negatively affected by alcohol.
“I think all educational programs are great and it will give our students some things to think of that they may not have thought of before,” Lillian Burroughs, director of public safety, said. “Every college or university has drinking issues but I really feel, especially this year, the problem is getting better.”
