I was one of those kids who didn’t drink much in high school. Needless to say, once I got to college, there was a lot that I did not know about alcohol and my limits.
One night, in particular, got a little out of hand and I landed myself a trip to the Health Center, a $50 fine and a date with the dean of students. I also had to take the Alcohol 101 class as part of my punishment.
I went into BCC 96 expecting to be talked at, bored and unchanged. I left that room with a better knowledge of how alcohol affects the human body as well as how to drink responsibly, thanks to Jeanne DiMuzio, the director of health education, who taught me how to understand.
DiMuzio also taught the other students, most of whom were probably there for the same reason as me, how alcohol is absorbed into the body, the adverse effects it can have and, surprisingly, the positive impact it can have.
I learned that when I pound a 104-calorie Keystone, I’m also downing 0.3 milligrams of Vitamin B2 and 71 milligrams of potassium. Who knew I could get a buzz and vitamins at the same time?
Rather than taking a moral stand and listing the 101 reasons why drinking is evil, DiMuzio teaches the students how to drink responsibly and with as little risk as possible.
According to DiMuzio, the main goal of the alcohol education program is to “reduce the harm in regards to alcohol, and assist students in weighing the costs and benefits to their alcohol practices.”
Jeremy Shea ’10, a work-study student in the Health and Wellness Education Center said, “They just do the best they can to teach students how to drink safely.”
The methods used to implement these ideals are “multi-pronged,” beginning with FYE classes and expanding to the alcohol and drug classes, floor programs with RAs, outreach work done through the Fairfield Corps and even the extension 2241 campaign.
DiMuzio said that the most significant problem regarding alcohol on campus that it is “a low perception of harm.”
She also said, “Students do not have a good handle on the short- and long-term effects associated with their consumption.”
Education is everywhere
For students who don’t find time or reason to attend an alcohol or drugs class, the Health and Wellness Education Center still finds ways to get the message out. Students gain information on drinking habits and trends on campus every day, whether they realize it or not.
Have you ever been bored in one of your classes and found yourself reading the bright pink or blue flyer on the wall that states, “Ninety percent of underage students do not go out on Tuesday nights.”
Knowledge is infectious and these flyers were put up to spread the alcohol awareness virus among Fairfield University students. The Stall Street Journals also serve to educate the unsuspecting.
The Health and Wellness Center also provides multiple alcohol and drug classes for Fairfield students outside of Alcohol 101 and 202.
For example, the Internet-based myStudentBody.com, is an interactive Web site that allows students to maintain a four-year journal in order to explore their alcohol and drug habits and patterns.
There are also a number of groups both on and off campus, including Alcoholics Anonymous, and The Grand Group for Alcohol and Drug Harm Reduction, along with several other groups based on understanding and curbing personal alcohol and drug problems. These educational opportunities and groups are all available through the student life tab on the University’s Web site.
Data has not yet been recorded and released on whether or not the alcohol and drug education classes on campus work. However, the process is under way.
According to DiMuzio, it is the Health and Wellness Center’s first year of “comprehensively assessing the figures” with the new AUDIT, or Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test.
This test is done through a 10-question survey, measuring quantity and frequency of consumption, given at the time of the class, which is then followed up on 30 days later.
If their goal was for all Fairfield students to abstain from drinking completely, they would be failing by a long shot. Since they seek to educate students in ways to lead healthier lifestyles, it all depends on how well students listen.
And I haven’t been written up since that night in Campion Hall my freshman year.
Leave a Reply