Saint Louis University is fighting against student alcohol abuse this week on campus.
The Alcohol Awareness and Sexual Assault Team has planned a broad schedule of events and activities that aim to make students aware of binge drinking.
“The message is not `don’t drink,’ it’s drink `responsibly’,” said Debbie Scheff, director of Student Health and Counseling and Chairperson of the Alcohol Awareness and Sexual Assault team.
Between Monday, Oct. 23, and Friday, Oct. 27, the “Grim Reapers,” will be visiting SLU in order to illustrate the statistics of alcohol-related deaths.
Moreover, students will be encouraged to wear a red ribbon in homage to those whose lives have been affected by alcohol. Some students chose to place their ribbons on the fence along Grand Boulevard.
The statistics on alcohol-related deaths among young adults are staggering.
“Eight young adults die each day due to alcohol-related accidents,” Scheff said.
Aside from fatalities, the abusive use of alcohol causes many other mishaps. According to the 1997 College Alcohol Survey, alcohol is intimately related to 29 percent of dropouts, 38 percent of academic failures, 64 percent of violent behaviors, 66 percent of unsafe sexual practices and 75 percent of acquaintance rapes.
According to Scheff, binge drinking among students has risen tremendously in the past four to seven years.
“There seem to be students with more problems who succumb to peer pressure,” said Scheff.
On Tuesday, Oct. 24, speaker Barbara Babb presented “Steer Straight” in the Saint Louis Room at the Busch Memorial Center.
Babb has been an emergency flight nurse since 1984 and throughout the course of her career she has encountered innumerable fatal accidents due to alcohol abuse.
During her presentation, Babb showed a set of slides in which decapitation, paralyzed bodies and rivers of blood were the results of drunk-driving-related accidents.
Through her eloquent speech and solid experience, Babb sought for awareness of drunk driving throughout the entire SLU community.
“I want you to know hands down that it’s OK to be safe and it’s OK to do the right thing,” Babb said.
Saint Louis University’s Alcohol Awareness week is being sponsored by Pan Hellenic Council, Intrafraternity Council and Student Health and Counseling.
