Alcohol and other drug-related harm continues to be a top public health issue on college campuses across the nation.
Among first-year University of Michigan students, 35 percent report drinking in a high-risk way during the first six weeks of school, according to recent data from the university’s AlcoholEdu educational programming. The online course is given to all first-year students to help educate them on alcohol use and how to recognize the harmful effects.
“Research shows that college students are at higher risk for experiencing alcohol-related harm during their first two to three months on campus,” says Mary Jo Desprez, Wolverine Wellness director. “This course is just one tool to help us educate our student community on making well-informed decisions around alcohol use.”
Following completion of the online course, 60 percent of incoming students report being ready to change their high-risk behavior. That represents a complete turnaround from the 60 percent who indicated they saw no need to change before taking the course.
Additionally, 88 percent of students reported that the course prepared them to make responsible decisions about drinking.
“We are always working to create a culture of health and wellness so that all students can thrive,” says Desprez. “We now have four years of students that have completed the AlcoholEdu course, which means we have 30,000 students that can now recognize the signs of alcohol poisoning. That’s a good thing.”
To help further address the safety of the campus community as it relates to alcohol harm, the university will implement additional strategies this fall.
The U-M Police Department will partner more closely with the Ann Arbor Police Department in off-campus areas. Officers will provide early engagement and feedback to students to help them better understand how to avoid being in violation of alcohol laws.
“These partnerships are important,” says Eddie Washington, executive director of the Division of Public Safety and Security. “By identifying and leveraging expertise from multiple internal and external disciplines and resources, we are better positioned to maximize our efforts as we focus on early education for our students.”
Housing security officers and UMPD will partner with University Housing staff to educate and support students in making healthy choices through workshops, activities and spending time together in University Housing.
The university will launch a pilot program of notifying the parents of first-year students after a drug- or alcohol-related violation of university policies. Parental notification will focus on first-year students since research shows this is an at-risk population as they transition to college.
Parental notification has been utilized by many universities, including most other Big Ten schools, as one component of a comprehensive program.
“We value parents as essential partners in our work regarding a wide range of health and wellness issues regarding students,” says Desprez. “As part of our evidence-based approach, we communicate openly and often with parents about campus expectations, law and policies.”
The university also continued to build on a shortened fall residence hall move-in period. A shortened move-in helps minimize the time between when first-year students arrive and the first day of classes.
Also this fall, updates will be made to the Stay in the Blue mobile application. The application helps individuals keep track of approximate blood alcohol content (the recommended Blue is .06 or below), provides local taxicab information and a list of fun things to do in Ann Arbor.
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In the application, users enter their gender and weight. It then allows individuals to select drink types such as beer, wine or specialty drinks, tailored to local bars and restaurants. The quantity is calculated based on the number of standard drinks in each alcoholic beverage. The app then calculates BAC over a period of time.
Stay in the Blue is a university campaign that encourages responsible and safe behavior while drinking.
“The safety of our students is our No. 1 priority,” says Washington. “Our actions are intended to reduce the risk of harm and increase the safety of every student.”
