Alcohol major factor in campus safety

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month and over the next few weeks Oklahoma State University will be offering several additional educational opportunities to become informed about safety topics including sexual violence, alcohol awareness and bystander awareness. 

   Although OSU is located in one of the safest communities in the country and the campus continues to be one of the safest in this region, much of the safety of the campus is determined by the ability of individuals to take control of their own personal safety.

“Oklahoma State University has made a commitment to and investment in the safety of this campus,” said Chief Public Safety Officer Michael Robinson. “In addition to a highly trained and certified police department 0with more than 30 officers, the university has invested in technology, emergency preparedness, and educating our students and employees about safety issues.”

Educational programs are important to supporting safety on campus. OSU police officers take part in outreach efforts that not only educate but also help to deter dangerous incidents and crime from occurring. 

Adam Queen is the C-CASE officer for the OSU Police Department. C-CASE stands for Campus and Community Alcohol and Safety Education. The main focus of his work is to educate students about the dangers of irresponsible alcohol use, which happens to be one of the biggest obstacles to safety on this and most college campuses. 

“When a person introduces alcohol into their body, the ability to make sound decisions is reduced,” says Queen. “The greater the consumption, the greater the risk of making a bad decision. Unfortunately, sometimes these bad decisions lead to situations that can end in deadly accidents or a crime of a sexual nature.”

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, students between the ages of 18 and 24 are more likely to be assaulted by another student who has been drinking and experience alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape at a higher rate.  

OSU also provides resources through the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center located in University Counseling Services. Kara Niccum is a alcohol and substance abuse counselor.

“Alcohol and drug use have the potential to become problematic for college students due to several factors.” Many students come into college having already experienced substance use and/or expect that substance use will be part of their college experience,” said Niccum. "When you combine college students newfound independence with their age groups developmental tendency toward risk taking and seeking peer approval, the combination can lead to problematic substance use. In addition, pressure to succeed academically, manage their finances, establish a peer group/dating relationship, all while discovering their identity and making decisions about their future can lead to substance use in an effort to manage mounting stress.”  

OSU’s Student Conduct Education and Administration has information about drinking responsibly and safely. Those tips can be found at https://studentconduct.okstate.edu/smart

In addition, if you believe that you have an issue with alcohol or substance abuse, students can visit the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center on campus to get information about alcohol and substance abuse, DUI assessments, interventions, counseling and more.  Visit their website at http://ucs.okstate.edu/ for more information.

Story By Alex Marianos