Acadia University's frosh week limits booze
Health officer releases report on alcohol and students
While students move into their residence rooms at Acadia University in the upcoming week one thing they won't be able to unpack is alcohol. Acadia University announced Thursday that drinking will not be tolerated in dorm rooms during its welcome week.
Acadia University is sending a letter to its students' parents outlining their new alcohol policies to curb binge-drinking.
Students will no longer be able to stockpile alcohol in their residence rooms, display or store empty alcohol bottles. Glass bottles are also not allowed.
The school is adopting four key recommendations:
1. No drinking in dorm rooms during welcome week. Must happen in designated supervised areas.
2. Training for staff and students to help change attitudes towards high-risk drinking.
3. Work with public health and emergency health service to learn how to respond to issues related to high-risk behavior.
4. Creation of a red and blue crew - students specifically trained to reach out to others at high risk of harm. It's modelled after a program at Stony Brook University in New York.
The school said if the changes don't work they'll try a different route.
The province's chief public health officer, Dr. Robert Strang, was in Wolfville to release his report on alcohol harm reduction among university students.
Acadia University requested Strang's report following a students' death after heavy drinking last year.
Strang said there's a culture where alcohol is a necessity for having fun.
Binge drinking is classified as five or more drinks on a single occasion. On average about 30 percent of Canadian university students are binge drinkers.