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By Randall Beach
NEW HAVEN — Administrators at Southern Connecticut State University are aggressively enforcing a zero tolerance program for alcohol and drug abuse by students, including a new online alcohol education course and mandatory ambulance rides to the hospital for those who appear to be inebriated.
SCSU is the first college or university in the state to require students who violate campus drinking policies to complete the alcohol education course.
"Alcohol abuse is always, on any campus, the number one health problem," said Courtney Esparza, SCSU's coordinator of drug and alcohol education programs.
Esparza, who assumed the new SCSU position last July, said the online alcohol education course began on campus in November. She said 13 students have completed the course, which takes about 2 ½ hours.
However, SCSU Dean of Students Richard Farricielli said the university's get-tough policy on alcohol and drug abuse began five years ago, when the ambulance rides were instituted.
"If you walk into a residence hall (or other parts of the campus) and you appear to be intoxicated, we'll call the campus police and take you by ambulance to the hospital," Farricielli said. "Then I'll call your parents and have them come pick you up."
Farricielli said those students need clearance from an expert such as a psychologist before being allowed back to school.
"Very rarely do we have the same person" repeating the drunken behavior, he added.
When the ambulance ride practice began, Farricielli said, about 10 students a week were being transported to the hospital. Now, he said, that's down to about two or three students weekly.
During last August's orientation for incoming freshmen, "we had two students come into a session staggering around," Farricielli recalled. "In front of all the students, we put them in an ambulance. The others were saying, 'Are you kidding me? They're taking them out?' That set the tone for the whole freshman class."
Farricielli said students who were transported to hospitals by ambulance later take the alcohol education course and often must participate in community or campus alcohol awareness programs.
Asked how a two-hour course taken on a home computer can affect students' behavior and attitude, Farricielli said, "The feedback we're getting is it makes them think. They deal with an issue they've never dealt with before. They realize they may have a problem."
SCSU officials are using the "social norms" approach, which is being used more and more by colleges and universities.
Under this technique, students receive figures showing that heavy drinking by their peers is not nearly as common as many people think it is.
"Most college students think they're supposed to drink," Farricielli said. "But only 18 percent of the college population is doing heavy drinking."
The alcohol awareness course, AlcoholEdu, was developed by a Boston-based health education company, Outside the Classroom Inc.
A spokesman for the company said 78 colleges or universities are now using AlcoholEdu, which was introduced about a year ago.
Esparza hopes the course eventually will be offered to all SCSU freshmen.
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