On campuses across the United States, alcohol is a real and pertinent issue.
For a number of years many institutions of higher education have incorporated National Alcohol Awareness Week into their campus events calendars.
This year at ETSU, National Alcohol Awareness Week, sponsored by the Counseling Center, will take place Oct. 15-21.
With a week full of alcohol-awareness related activities including the “Get High” Ropes Course, “What are you Thirsty For?” Video Presentation, and “Fatal Vision Olympics,” the week will befun and informative.
“These events are important to promote awareness about alcohol and to educate students,” said Lisa Honeycutt, event coordinator.
“During the week there will be different presentations on high-risk drinking, alcohol poisoning and drunken driving, along with ways to prevent these things.”
The event will promote low-risk drinking and give students information about high-risk drinking.
“Through this event we also want to promote the fact that at ETSU there are more students that don’t drink than those who do drink,” said Honeycutt, “and the ones who drink, drink responsibly.”
The week will also strive to show students that there are many other ways to have a good time without alcohol, and ideas for alcohol-free events will be suggested.
On Monday, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., there will be a “Virtual Bar” in the Culp Center booths (outside the post office) featuring “mock”tails, free alcohol screenings and other freebies.
This interactive program will be provided on two to three laptop computers for student participants.
Other groups are sponsoring events during National Alcohol Awareness week.
Bacchus and Gamma, a group representative of various Fraternities and Sororities, will be involved in the “Fatal Vision Relay.”
Students may get a group together to participate in the relay, or just come to watch groups compete.
Phi Sigma Beta Sorority will be putting on a “Mock”tail competition, in which different types of punches (“mock”tails) will be concocted and a winning “brew” chosen.
Live music always brings life an event put on for a great cause. On Thursday, Oct. 18, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., local bands will provide alcohol-free entertainment to students in the Amphitheater.
Bands such as Pawn Shop, The Hero’s Text, and Pace are scheduled to play, as well as one member of Random Chance doing an acoustic performance.
After a campuswide writing contest on Friday, Oct. 19 from 12 a.m.-2 p.m., in the Cave, the winners will share their writing.
Free snacks and other goodies will be provided.
All week long students may also sign up for the Sobriety Pledge. Students pledge to stay sober during the week, recieve free gifts, and donate the money saved from not drinking to a charity of their choice.
For more information, call the Counseling Center at 439-4841.

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