Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Alcohol awareness class numbers rise

Students seek dismissal of underage drinking citations

A new program offering students the chance to have their first underage drinking citation dismissed has seen an increase in participation.

“Within the first six weeks of school, numbers were already up by 45 people,” said University Police Chief Bob Roberts.

Offered through West Virginia University’s Carruth Center for Psychological and Psychiatric services, program informs students about alcohol and addiction, and the possible harms resulting from binge drinking.

“This isn’t a punitive program,” said John Spraggins, Student Assistance Program director at the Carruth Center. “We want people to understand addiction is a problem. No one wakes up and says, ‘I want to be an alcoholic.’”

The class is typically six sessions, and can be either one-on-one counseling or in groups of about three to five students. During the class, students could complete worksheets, watch videos or write papers.

“We do anything that we think might most effectively help that student,” Spraggins said. “We help them set goals and individualize it. Every student is different.”

The program stresses the fact, if a student is there, they were underage and drinking.

“They are breaking the law,” Spraggins said.

The program intends on helping students realize about 20 percent of the population has an alcohol problem affecting people between the ages 25 and 45 years old.

“Students think it’s just older people who have addictions, but it affects the younger generation,” Spraggins said.

Generally, students in the program are referred through courts or the Office of Student Judicial Affairs at WVU. Spraggins has been the director for 12 years and said there has been a very small percentage of repeat offenders in the class.

“No one thinks that down the road it could be a problem,” Spraggins said. “People just think it’s what they’re supposed to do in college, but some of the binge drinking behaviors can lead to addictions and can harm you in a pretty serious way.”

source: Daily Athenaeum

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Primary Care for Alcoholics

In treating alcohol abuse and alcoholism, “we haven’t yet reached the Prozac moment,” says Dr. Mark Willenbring, referring to the drugs that radically changed the treatment of depression. But Dr. Willenbring, an expert on treating alcohol addiction, predicts that the day is not far off when giving a pill and five minutes of advice to….

Are There Free Alcohol Treatment Centers for Teens?

All parents want what’s best for their kids, but very few parents are able to afford acting out on their wants. The parents of alcoholic teenagers are all too familiar with this situation. Many feel that a professional rehab center is out of their financial reach. However, there are many free alcohol treatment centers and….

WOMEN ARE AT HIGH RISK FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Educate a woman in your life by sharing some of these statistics and have a conversation about alcohol. Alcohol is associated more closely with crimes of sexual violence than any other drug; it is implicated in as many as 73% of all rapes and 70% of all incidents of domestic violence. It is linked to….

Study links violence to take-away alcohol

US scientists have shown what they say is a direct link between the number of shops selling alcohol in an area and the violence occurring there. The study was conducted in Cincinnati and considered all types of outlet, including bars and restaurants. The more shops selling alcohol in an area, the scientists say, the more….

Alcohol in new Zealand

Alcohol has been excessively commercialised, over-hyped and over-sold. It is treated in the market place as if it were just an ordinary grocery item when, in fact, it is a highly intoxicating recreational drug, argues Doug Sellman. There is little doubt that New Zealand has a serious alcohol problem. Every day we are presented with….