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Health promotions brings alcohol awareness to campus ahead of spring break.
By Maria Gardner
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Two events on campus Wednesday are planned by the health promotions office to inform students of the dangers of over-indulging during spring break.
An alcohol awareness event 10 a.m.-1 p.m.. in the mall will bring together community resources, such as the San Antonio Police Department, to provide information.
“Stand Tall, Stay Safe” is an alcohol education event that will offer free food, T-shirts and prizes to encourage students to learn about their alcohol consumption. This event is co-sponsored by counseling services 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in Gym 1 of Candler Physical Education Center.
“A lot of students go to South Padre Island. They are going to be around a lot of alcohol and people their age,” said Jacob-Aiden Martinez, director of student conduct and SAC Cares, in an interview March 2.
The health promotions office and SAC Cares will provide information about what consent is for sexual activities and how much alcohol can make a person drunk.
According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about half of the cases of sexual assault occur with the victim, perpetrator or both under the influence of alcohol.
An article “Alcohol and Sexual Assault” on the institute’s website explains the research at pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-1/43-51.htm.
Under Title IX, colleges and universities receiving federal funding are required to address sexual violence, according to the U.S. Department of Educaton at www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/know-rights-201404-title-ix.pdf.
A flier created by SAC Cares quotes a statistic: “Each year it is estimated that more than 690,000 students between the ages of 18-24 were assaulted by another student who had been drinking.”
“If they are drinking or high, by state law, they cannot give consent,” Martinez said.
The event is part of the college’s proactive effort to educate students about the effects alcohol has on a person’s ability to make healthy choices, Martinez said.
SAC Cares staff will encourage students to participate in the “Stand Tall Stay Safe” alcohol screening, Martinez said.
Texans Stand Tall is funding the grant for the screenings. That is a statewide coalition that partners with schools and groups to promote drug-free, alcohol-free and tobacco-free lives for young people, according to texansstandingtall.org.
Counseling services at this college will conduct free screenings.
Counselor Melissa Sutherland-Hunt said in a telephone interview March 3 that students will first take a survey about their alcohol use. Then after a conversation with a counselor, they will take another survey to see how their views on alcohol have changed, she said.
Sutherland-Hunt said the goal of the event is for students to gain information about their own drinking habits.
“We are not there to judge at all,” Sutherland-Hunt said. “We want to help students make wise decisions for themselves.”
For more information, contact Dayton in the health promotions office at 210-486-0127 or email her at mdayton4@alamo.edu.