Counseling Center encourages Alcohol Awareness

The Southern University Counseling Center looks to prevent alcohol related deaths among the collegiate population by implementing its annual Alcohol Awareness Week activities on October 19^th- October 20^th.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), alcohol-impaired drivers are involved in about 1 in 3 automobile crash deaths.

The Counseling Center will present BYOB(Bring Your Own Bananas) and Drunk Goggles Day on the 19^th in the courtyard of the Smith-Brown Memorial Union; where students will be issued a ticket to BYOB and receive an ice cream sundae and they can undergo the drunken experience wearing "drunk goggles."

Alcohol death statistics from Medic on Web, indicate that more than 1,000,000 deaths occur annually due to excessive alcohol consumption. 65 people die on the highways due drunken driving everyday. 50% of fatal car accidents are due to alcohol consumption.

Durward Craig, Mental Health Counselor at SU Counseling Center said, The University Counseling Center has celebrated National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week for the past nine years, by hosting three activities to educate students about the dangers of alcohol.

On Thursday, October 20^th from 6 p.m. -9 p.m. in the Cotillion Ballroom of the Union, students are encouraged to participate in "Mocktails." Mocktails are safe, non-alcoholic drinks that students will create and compete in teams to see who has the best one.

Student organizations participate and create their best non-alcoholic beverage to impress the judges and the students who drink them. Organizations that participate can win trophies for best drink, best decorated table, and best theme.

Among the countries of the world, the U.S. stands 26^th in the list of alcohol consuming countries.

The higher a person's educational attainment the higher their risk of becoming an alcoholic. Also, the wealthier a person is, the higher their access to alcohol and risk of excessive consumption.

With October being National Alcohol Awareness Month, According to Medic On Web, U.S. Alcohol Statistics show that 17.6 million people in the U.S. are alcoholics. 1 in 18 or 5.5% of people in the U.S. are alcohol dependent.

The Counseling Center encourages all SU students to attend these events.

A 2010 survey by the CDC, found that men were responsible for 4 in 5 (81%) episodes of drinking and driving in 2010. Young men ages 21-34 made up only 11% of the U.S. population in 2010, yet were responsible for 32% of all instances of drinking and driving.

"We want to show students that they don't need alcohol to have a good time", said Craig.