Reducing alcohol abuse at Midwest University through counseling programs

Alcohol Awareness at Midwest University

Alcohol abuse has been a growing problem at Midwest University, and this task force has been given the goal of increasing student awareness of issues related to alcohol abuse and reducing alcohol consumption by the students on campus. This paper sets forth suggestions as to how to accomplish this task based on research into similar issues and programs at other schools.

Drinking is common among adolescents and young adults across the country and indeed around the world, but it has become an especially virulent problem at Midwest University. The under normal circumstances, one out of every three people between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four that is admitted to an emergency room with serious injuries is intoxicated (NIAAA, 2007). At Midwest University, the odds are much higher -- well over half of all emergency room visits from students involve some form of substance abuse. The abuse of alcohol on this campus needs to be stopped, and it needs to be stopped quickly before more get hurt.

Needs

The safety of the student body is Midwest University's highest concern, and the alcohol problem is endangering Midwest students. In addition, the reputation Midwest University is earning does not serve any of the institutions interests. A program is needed whereby students will be made aware of the dangers of alcohol abuse, and its use on this campus discouraged.

Our Proposed Ideas

Frequent drinking is generally higher among college students than non-college students of the same age (Shalala, 1995). We believe that this is due mainly to two factors: increased pressure on college students to achieve, and intense and often overwhelming socialization. Our first proposal, therefore, is to institute a more effective counseling program for students struggling with their performance or feeling overwhelmed by their courses and workload. Counseling should include behavior modification techniques in regards to stress from both academic and social pressure, as well as contain modification techniques for alcohol abuse. Some students might resist seeking help from counseling services, therefore every attempt should be made to make informal and relaxed counseling available. Peer counseling can be especially effective in this area; students are often more willing to share problems, even inadvertently, with other students (NIAAA, 2007). Not much can be done about the social aspects of college life, although efforts can be made through counseling to remind people it's okay to take some time to yourself.

Implementation

Peer counselors can be trained during a weekend workshop, with ongoing support and training for the duration of their counseling position. Once the program is running smoothly, peer counselors can effectively train their own replacements, with minimal supervision or modification by University personnel required. Peer counselors would work on a volunteer basis, so the programs implementation should have little fiscal impact.

Recommendations

It is the recommendation of this task force that a suitable training guide and instructor is found -- either on the Midwest faculty or hired elsewhere for a time -- as soon as possible, and the new role of peer counselors advertised, with active recruiting on the part of the task force. Once a solid group of peer counselors and a number of faculty counselors have undergone training, the program will be self-sustaining. Implementation should be possible within a month, and possibly sooner.