UNC, 9 Other Schools Get Grants to Fight Drinking

Mary Easley announced that 10 state universities -- including UNC-Chapel Hill -- will each receive an $8,000 grant to reduce binge drinking on campus.

The grant will be provided by the Governor's Institute on Alcohol and Substance Abuse Inc., which aims to educate the public about the impact of drug use and methods of prevention.

Each university was allowed to submit its own proposal on how the funding would be spent, and schools were chosen based on their ideas.

UNC-CH's proposal calls for improving cooperation between various alcohol enforcement and treatment groups in the area. The newly-formed coalition will aim to develop a relationship with local vendors and steer students away from binge drinking.

In the spring of 2002, all schools receiving a grant will be invited to a symposium to discuss their progress with the project.

"The program is designed to assist colleges and universities in their efforts to reduce high-risk drinking behavior," Easley said. "Excessive drinking impacts not only the students involved but also the surrounding community."

Easley also said 95 percent of violent crimes and 90 percent of rapes on campuses involve alcohol.

"I used to prosecute cases where college students were the victims, and I know these statistics to be accurate," Easley said.

She added that two out of five college students were binge drinkers in 1999 -- the same rate as six years earlier.

And she said alcohol is the culprit in 40 percent of all academic problems and 28 percent of incidents of college dropouts.

Executive director of the institute, Jacob Lohr, said the eventual goal of the group is to extend the grant program to either more campuses or increase the amount of money in the grants.

"Ultimately we will extend the campus project beyond the 10 schools recognized today," Lohr said.

He added that another goal of the program was to make college campuses and the surrounding areas safer for all students.

"Even students who do not consume alcohol are distracted while they are studying or trying to sleep," Lohr said.

Dean Blackburn, UNC-CH coordinator of substance abuse programs, was on hand to receive a certificate from the state's first lady commemorating the University's reception of the grant.

"We already have a strong prevention system on and around campus," Blackburn said. "Our goal with this grant is going to bring us all together at the same table."

He added that the funding from the grant will not be used to replace any alcohol-prevention programs but will simply make all the existing programs work in a more cohesive manner.

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.