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By Caroline Smith
August 15, 2005
Before Destiny Lantz goes to the College of Charleston later this week, she will have to buy things for her apartment, meet her roommates, read "River Town" by Peter Hessler and take an alcohol education course.
There are, on average, 1,400 alcohol-related deaths each year among college students, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. To counter that, some universities are requiring their students to take online alcohol education courses before they arrive on campus.
The College of Charleston is requiring all incoming freshmen to take AlcoholEdu, a three-hour online workshop offered by Outside the Classroom Inc.
This is the second year the college has had its incoming freshmen take the course. Previously, the school required the course for students disciplined for alcohol abuse.
"The program has been very well-received by college administrators, parents, students and health educators," said Jeri Cabot, the college's dean of students.
Last year, there was a 5 percent decrease in binge drinking at the college, said Elizabeth Walker, a substance-abuse official.
The goal for this school year is a 10 percent drop in the number of students who are hurt or injured as a result of drinking and drug use, said Guy Ilagan, the college's substance abuse coordinator.
Freshmen are required to complete the course no later than one week after they arrive this fall, but officials prefer they take it before.
"That's the whole point, to take it before they arrive on campus," Cabot said. "They'll have a greater knowledge on the subject and information about their own bodies and their own habits and have a clearer sense about campus culture."
Parents also are encouraged to take the course to see what their children are learning, Cabot said.
The course is becoming popular. More than 450 colleges and universities administer it. Many national Greek organizations also use it.
Last year, a University of Colorado student died after a night of binge drinking with fellow pledges and fraternity members.
At least four other college student deaths in the nation were believed related to binge drinking.
At the University of South Carolina, University 101, a transition-to-college class, includes a lesson on alcohol awareness.
"About 75 to 80 percent of incoming freshmen take it," said Carrie Linder, assistant director of the course. The section on alcohol focuses on being responsible.
There also are presentations in the residence halls.
Clemson University informs its incoming freshmen about the dangers of alcohol at required freshmen orientations held throughout the summer.
Lantz, who enters the College of Charleston this week, was not excited about taking the online course.
"I didn't have a computer, so I had to go to the library and get headphones," she said.
The course covers a broad range of alcohol-related issues, from the effects of being around parents or friends who drink to more technical information, such as the laws regarding blood-alcohol content levels and symptoms of intoxication.
The course also contains skits and surveys. A survey at the beginning determines how the course is modeled to best fit the test-taker.
Lantz had never received any alcohol education in high school, "so I thought it was a good thing to take."
Lantz said she found some surprising information in the course on alcohol's effects. Having been around people who drink, Lantz didn't think it was a big deal. "But I found alcohol can affect you in more than one way."
Although the course was informative, Lantz probably will not change her lifestyle.
"I wouldn't have been a heavy drinker anyway," she said. "It did change the way I looked at how my friends behave."
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