News releases

September 9, 1999

TO: Editors, news directors
FROM: Office of News and Public Affairs, 608/262-3571
RE: Campus efforts regarding problem drinking

Some 113 colleges and universities including the University of
Wisconsin-Madison are participating in a national public awareness campaign
on binge drinking scheduled to launch Friday, Sept. 10.

The effort by National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant
Colleges may again raise questions in the community about alcohol abuse by
university students, concerning both the degree of the problem and
university efforts to confront the issue.

In recent years, UW-Madison has undertaken a concerted campaign to reduce
problem drinking and its consequences. Through a number of programs
administered by the Dean of Students Office, University Health Services and
University Housing, the university is trying to take the focus off of
alcohol, and help those students who do drink see that alcohol is only a
small part of their lives.

The RWJ Project, which started in 1996 and continues through Aug. 31, 2002,
has the long-term objective of changing the UW-Madison campus and community
culture to decrease high-risk drinking and its negative consequences
(violence, vandalism, property damage, sexual assault, and academic
failure) among undergraduate students.

Here is an overview of these efforts that may help you as you plan local
coverage of this national phenomenon. For information on any of these
efforts, contact Rob Adsit, (608) 265-5231; rtadsit@facstaff.wisc.edu.

INITIATIVES

-- Mayor's Work Group on Downtown Alcohol Issues - RWJ Project Director
Carol Lobes represents the UW-Madison on this group, whose charge is to
provide constructive responses to significantly reduce high-risk drinking
situations.

-- WASB Mini-Grants: This program supports student organizations that
sponsor late-night, alcohol-free activities.

-- Real Talk About College: Conversations with high school seniors and
their parents in which college students share their experiences in college,
how they made friends, how they connected with faculty and succeeded
academically. Held at Madison West and Memorial high schools.

-- Fraternities and sororities: A campus life and alcohol program is
offered each semester for new pledges. Facilitated by medical students and
managed by RWJ students with emphasis on new pledges understanding the role
alcohol plays for them and identifying alcohol-free activities they can do
during their first year in the house.

-- Secondary Effects Dialogue Forum:  RWJ will work in collaboration with
the Chancellor's Office to plan a discussion in which students will focus
on the secondary effects of high-risk drinking and action steps to decrease
them.

-- Get Connected: A partnership with the Student Organizations Office, two
residence halls (Chadbourne and Ogg) and one private hall, the Statesider,
will survey 1,400 incoming first-year students regarding which student
organizations might interest them. Plans are to expand to all halls for
fall 2000.

-- ESCAPE:  A web site calendar that features events with low or no
alcohol.  Students can search as well as post events. Averages 2,000
hits/month. Visit: http://danenet.wicip.org/escape

LOW OR NON-ALCOHOL ACTIVITIES

-- SERF/Nat After Hours: Recreation activities held Thursdays until 1 a.m.
An average 250 students attend each week.

-- No-alcohol night club: The RWJ Campus Task Force and Wisconsin Union
Directorate have received $25,000 from the UW Foundation to expand the
music/dancing venue at Union South every Friday and Saturday night.

-- Student Unions: Programs promote late, weekend night student union use
through housefellows and other marketing efforts to residence halls and
groups.

Spring Break: RWJ is collaborating with Union Travel Center and Student
Travel Association to offer spring break adventure trips without the "all
you can drink" component.

For other background or coverage ideas, contact Jonathan Zarov, University
Health Services health communications manager, (608) 265-9058

For more RWJ Project details, visit: http://www.uhs.wisc.edu/rwj

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