As spring break approaches, the Counseling Center is doing their best to bring awareness to the misuse or abuse of alcohol.Binge drinking is defined as the consumption of five or more alcoholic drinks in a row, on a single occasion.
“Somebody would tell us maybe 12 beers is not much, but we think it is,” Cynthia Bryant, Counseling Center assistant director said.
The Counseling Center offers a variety of ways to assist in the recognition and prevention of alcohol abuse. There are free screenings, such as e-CHUG, available on the counseling center’s page of Tech’s Web site. There are also counselors available to talk about alcohol abuse or warning signs if you think you, or someone you know may have a problem.
“If you drink two and feel like you have to have another one, that could be indicative of a problem,” Bryant said.
This year, the Counseling Center will provide information on how to have a safe spring break with tips from alcohol safety and safe sex to wearing proper sunscreen. Information tables will be set up for this event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 3 through 5 on the first floor of RUC. Incentive items, funded by CHASCo, will also be given away.
CHASCo is the Coalition for Healthy and Safe Campus Communities, which is a state-wide organization that provides funding for addressing alcohol and other drug related issues to several participating Tennessee colleges. CHASCo also provides Tech with funding for core surveys on these topics as well as the e-CHUG and e-TOKE applications on the Counseling Center’s page of Tech’s web site.
The e-CHUG and e-TOKE applications are designed for students to electronically answer questions and enter information about drinking patterns or drug use, then receive feedback.
In a core survey taken in 2007, of 925 students at Tech, anonymously 83 percent said they had never missed a class due to drinking.
“Signs of a problem may be drinking more and more where you feel like you can’t quit,” Bryant said. “Or if you feel like you have to drink more to get the same affect.”
If you feel like you or someone you know may have a problem take, the e-CHUG quiz online. If you would like a more personal approach, contact Cynthia Bryant of the Counseling Center at cbryant@tntech.edu.
