College is a time for self-discovery and exploration of how to be a contributing member of society. That path can lead many of us to a little thing called alcohol.
Whether we experience it for the first time on our 21st birthday or we come across it a little earlier, it’s inevitable that everyone will have some form of contact with alcohol during their time at the university level.
The University of Idaho has the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) program, which aims to educate students on the effects alcohol and drug use can have on academics and personal relationships. They do this by offering outreach programs to living groups and student organizations, and creating support groups for those in substance abuse recovery.
The outreach programs are designed with the fact that students will partake in alcohol use in mind. The program doesn’t advocate for an abstinence-only way of living. These presentations and workshops are presented mostly by Vandal Health Education Peer Educators, meaning students teach their peers rather than a professor or teacher standing up in front like a traditional lecture. The AOD program wants students to have all the available information so that they can make choices for themselves.
Alcohol 101 is a good example of this philosophy. Students are given the facts about alcohol, asked to give some reasons why alcohol can be fun and then asked to identify how to make sure the negative effects of alcohol can be avoided. The other programs follow a similar strategy to get students to use information given to them, so they can make beneficial decisions.
After speaking with students who have attended the AOD workshops, the impacts of these presentations become pretty clear.
One student who attended a Red Watch Band bystander intervention training mentioned they felt that having a peer leader take the reins for the presentation made it easier to learn and ask questions. They also noticed themselves using what they learned in their everyday lives whether it be the facts they learned or watching for the emergency signs when they are out in party situations.
Beneficial programs don’t stop with AOD’s outreach, though. The Student Addiction Support and Recovery Alliance (SASRA) is a student support group under the Alcohol and Other Drugs program that was started to create a place for students who are going through recovery to meet up and help one another. Whether the student is exploring the idea of cutting back, quitting or is going on many years of sobriety, the group aims to be a support system and provide good, sober fun. They have a Kickball and BBQ coming up in Ghormley Park on Oct. 14 at 4 p.m.
Community members don’t have to be in recovery to come. It is open to anyone and everyone.
Anyone who would like to set up a workshop for their group can go to the Vandal Health Education page on the university website and click on “workshops” in the left hand column. Brian Dulin, coordinator for the Alcohol and Other Drugs program, can also be reached from the Vandal Health Education page if students have further questions or would like to learn how to volunteer for the program.
Cecilia McClurg
is a peer educator
and can be reached at
[email protected]