For the second year in a row, about half of AU’s freshmen and new transfer students reported in an online survey that they do not drink alcohol.
Fifty-two percent of the students who completed the AlcoholEdu testing halfway through the fall semester said they do not drink alcohol, according to Health Educator Kate DiEmidio.
Last year, about 51 percent of new students said they do not drink. This is the second year AU has required incoming freshmen and new transfer students to complete AlcoholEdu, an online alcohol prevention program aimed to increase students’ knowledge of alcohol and help them set personal goals related to their drinking habits.
“We’re remaining stable and I think once we continue to use AlcoholEdu we may actually see that number [of non-drinking students] increase,” DiEmidio said.
Associate Dean of Students Michelle Espinosa said the school does not have long-term data for AlcoholEdu at AU because the program was implemented fairly recently.
“It’s only been two years, so it’s really best right now for us to look at it in comparison to other universities and the national average,” Espinosa said.
However, as new students continue to take AlcoholEdu, AU will gather long-term data that Dean of Students Rob Hradsky believes will be helpful and may reflect trends and changes in the behaviors of the student body.
The information will also allow the University to analyze whether or not AlcoholEdu is having a positive effect on students.
“Once the entire campus community has been through [AlcoholEdu], I believe we may see some big changes,” Hradsky said.
Hradsky said he believes AlcoholEdu is already having a positive effect on students.
“I think we’re seeing a greater number of our students who are getting help for friends who may be exhibiting behaviors associated with alcohol poisoning,” Hradsky said.
DiEmidio said that each year between 35 and 50 students are sent to the hospital from campus for an alcohol-related reason.
DiEmidio has been working as AU’s health educator for nearly two years and said that when she first arrived on campus, she saw many transported students going through the process alone.
“What I’ve seen now is that they’re with friends,” DiEmidio said.
She said students are the ones showing increasing concern for their intoxicated friends by contacting a resident assistant or the Department of Public Safety for help.
DiEmidio said 87 percent of students reported the information provided by AlcoholEdu better prepared them to deal with a friend who might have alcohol poisoning, and 83 percent said it helped them establish a plan for making responsible decisions around alcohol.
Kristina Hsu, a freshman in the School of International Service, said that she already knew most of the information covered by AlcoholEdu, but that other students might come to college without prior knowledge or experience.
“I still feel it’s important to have some kind of alcohol education for students,” she said.
Espinosa said AU will work to provide alternative events for students who want to stay on campus and have activities to engage in, especially during the first six weeks of school.
llandau@theeagleonline.com
