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Information about Student Alcohol Use and Safety This Weekend

by Betsy Chapman

The following message was emailed to parents on October 27 on behalf of the Student Health Service and the Office of Wellbeing.

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Wake Forest students tend to be responsible young adults, however, there are times and events during the year that are particularly concerning with respect to alcohol use. Among those are student tailgating at the last home game of the season (traditionally a time when seniors attempt to drink dangerous amounts of alcohol), Halloween, and “recovery” from mid-terms. This year these three events collide the weekend of October 30 – November 1.

Campus Life staff are actively engaged in prevention efforts including alternative (non-alcohol) events, social norm marketing (which corrects the perception that “all” students are engaged in the high risk use of alcohol), and bystander education (to teach students how to recognize and respond to their friends who are drinking too much).

One important prevention strategy involves parents. Research has shown that parents are one of the biggest sources of influence on their child’s drinking habits. Conversations with your student can help reduce the risky use of alcohol, and we encourage you to speak with your son or daughter about your concerns about their use of alcohol, especially in a risky manner.

An excellent resource which gives tips about how to have these conversations as well as more detailed information about alcohol use and abuse in college students is “College Parents Matter … Have the Conversation” produced by the Maryland Collaborative to Reduce College Drinking and Other Problems.
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Thank you for partnering with us to help keep your student safe and healthy!

Cecil D. Price, MD
Director, Student Health Service

Malika Roman Isler, PhD, MPH
Director, Office of Wellbeing

Contact

To contact the Office of Family Engagement or Family Communications, please visit our contact page.

 

For mental health assistance: 336-758-CARE (2273) is a service that ensures someone will always be available (i.e., 24/7 M-F, weekends and university holidays) to provide caring and thoughtful consultation services for Wake Forest students in need of mental health assistance or support. You can also visit we.wfu.edu for resources.