The red flags displayed on the Quad all week represent the annual number of deaths related to college students abusing alcohol: 1,825.
Approximately, 696,000 students between the ages of 18 to 24 die each year from alcohol related causes. Every minute, someone is injured from an alcohol-related crash.
The University’s Alcohol Awareness Week occurs every year around mid-October. Several students attended the Alcohol Awareness Matters Walk on Wednesday night located at the foot of Gorgas Library. Various student organizations set up tables around the Quad for students to collect information regarding resources on campus relating to alcohol abuse.
“The gist of this is to just provide awareness to our students of all the resources we have available here on campus,” said Paula Perry, associate director of Student Conduct. “We’re also giving information about, okay if you decide to indulge, you know, let’s just be smart safe and responsible.”
Information about 348-RIDE, the University’s Medical Amnesty Policy, the IMPACT substance abuse prevention service and the Center for Recovery was all given out. UAPD was also present, giving out buttons and BAC informational cards.
Perry said the cards help students figure out their limit by matching their weight and the number of drinks they usually have.
Members of SGA sat at the main table where students could sign in and start walking around to the gather information.
“Educating our fellow students about alcohol awareness is an important deterrent because a lot of these students will end up in our office with SNAMs or alcohol-related offenses,” said Rich Husch, associate justice of SGA and junior majoring in accounting. “We’re trying to educate our fellow students basically so they don’t have to see us in our office.”
Husch said one of the most common cases they hear about in the Office of Student Conduct are alcohol-related.
“If you or your friend are not making a good choice, we want to tell you about the resources we have available for them,” Perry said. “Sometimes you go out and you don’t have a plan and bad things happen, so it’s just to provide information so they know they have options.”
Students were able to sign the red flags, pledging to contribute to the safety on campus relating to alcohol abuse.
“I always think of Dr. [Maya] Angelou’s quote ‘when you know better, you do better,’” Perry said. “This is to put students in the know about our campus resources, to put students in the know that if they’re going to indulge, it’s about drinking smart, being responsible and making good choices.”
