The serious consequences of irresponsible use of
alcohol have led to the formation of a number of concerned citizen groups. Although each organization has a unique
approach, all attempt to deal objectively with two indisputable facts. Alcohol use is part of our society, and
irresponsible alcohol use can be deadly.
Mothers Against
Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is a national
network of over 600 local chapters in the United States and Canada. This organization attempts to educate people
about alcohol’s effects on driving and to influence legislation and enforcement
of laws related to drunk drivers.
Students Against
Destructive Decisions
Many students have known the acronym SADD to stand
for the youth group Students Against Driving Drunk or Students Against
Destructive Decisions. Recently, the
group has restructured itself to expand beyond drunk driving to include other
high-risk activities that are detrimental to youth, such as underage drinking,
drug use, drugged driving, and failure to use seat belts. Founded in 1981, this organization now has
millions of members in thousands of chapters throughout the country. Remaining central to the drunk driving aspect
of SADD is the “Contract for Life,” a pact that encourages students and parents
to provide safe transportation for each other if either is unable to drive
safely after consuming alcohol. This contract
also stipulates that no discussion about the incident are to be started until
both can talk in a calm and caring manner.
BACCHUS and
GAMMA Peer Education Network
BACCHUS (Boost Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the
Health of University Students) began in 1975 as an alcohol-awareness
organization at the University of Florida.
Run by student volunteers, this organization promoted responsible
drinking among college students who chose to drink. It was not an anti-alcohol group, but a “harm
reduction” group. Over the years,
hundreds of chapters were formed on campuses across the country.
When supports of BACCHUS realized that many students
interested in alcohol awareness were from fraternities and sororities, they
developed GAMMA (Greeks Advocating Mature Management of Alcohol) to join
BACCHUS to form a peer education network.
Campuses are now able to choose BACCHUS, GAMMA, or any other acronym or
name for their groups.
With the broadening of the original BACCHUS
organization has come an expansion of the health issues this group addresses. Originally,
the focus was on alcohol abuse and prevention.
Now the BACCHUS and GAMMA Peer Education Network confront a variety of
student health and safety issues.
Other Approaches
Other responsible approaches to alcohol use are
surfacing nearly every day. Even among
college fraternity organizations, attitudes toward the indiscriminate use of
alcohol are changing. Many fraternity rush
functions are now conducted without the use of alcohol, and growing numbers of
fraternities are alcohol-free.
Another
encouraging sign on college campuses is the increasing number of alcohol use
task forces. Although each of these
groups has its own focus and tittle, many are meeting to discuss
alcohol-related concerns on their particular campus. These task forces often try to formulate
detailed, comprehensive policies for alcohol use across the entire campus
community. Membership on these committees
often includes students (on-campus and off-campus, graduate and undergraduate),
faculty and staff members, academic administrators, residence hall advisors,
university police, health center personnel, alumni, and local citizens. Does your college have such a committee?
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