Alcohol Awareness Fair to be held October 18

VALDOSTA - Valdosta State University’s Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Education is hosting an Alcohol Awareness Fair on Thursday, Oct. 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Palms Quad.

The fair is one of thousands of events held at colleges across the country during National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week to inform students about the dangers of substance abuse and to promote responsible, educated decisions.

Fair attendants will be able to participate in a DUI simulation, which will test their abilities to weave a golf cart through a maze of cones while wearing goggles that mimic vision impairments caused by alcohol and drugs. The Valdosta Police Department’s K-9 Unit will demonstrate drug dogs’ abilities to sniff out illegal substances.

VSU Farber Health Services staff will pass out coasters that test for date rape drugs. Students will be able to pick up alcohol test strips that, when swabbed through the mouth, indicate whether a person has drunk beyond the legal limit to drive. Confidential HIV testing, with results in 20 minutes, will also be offered.

A disc jockey will entertain the crowd as VSU students and personnel peruse informational booths, sample free refreshments and register to win door prizes.

“It’s going to be a fun time with a serious message,” said Mark Williams, coordinator for the Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Education. “The DUI simulation and other activities make an impact on a lot of people. We hope their experiences at the fair stay with them so that students will make informed decisions the next time they are in a situation involving drugs and/or alcohol.”

According to VSU’s 2006 CORE Alcohol and Drug Survey of more than 700 students, 91 percent of males and 75 percent of females regard drinking as a central part of their social lives. Roughly 40 percent of students reported some form of public misconduct, such as a DUI, vandalism or public fighting, during the past year as a result of drinking alcohol or using drugs.

The Office and Alcohol and Other Drug Education is charged with addressing substance abuse within the VSU community and its potential impact on academic, professional and social development. The office provides the campus with prevention information and organizes peer education and substance-free social programming. Its services are available to students, faculty and staff.

For more information about the fair or to learn more about the Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Education, call the office at (229) 259-5111 or go to www.valdosta.edu/aode/ .



Check out additional alcohol awareness events at VSU that will be held in conjunction with National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week:


Substance Free for a Week
Monday, Oct. 15 - Friday, Oct. 19

The Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Education is teaming up with Housing and Residential Life to encourage students to participate in “Substance Free for a Week.” Students who participate in this challenge will pledge to remain drug and alcohol free from Oct. 15 to Oct. 19 in honor of National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week.

To participate in the challenge, call Erin Sandonato, Complex Director for Centennial Hall Apartments, at 333-5269.


Campus Blackout
Wednesday, Oct. 17

Students will wear all black and spend the day in silence, except during class, in honor of people who have lost their lives because of drug and/or alcohol abuse and related accidents. They will hand out slips of paper with a story of a person who has lost their life because of drugs or alcohol. For more information about the campus blackout, call Erin Sandonato, Complex Director for Centennial Hall Apartments, at 333-5269.