Binge Drinking: From Understanding to Action

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Campus/Community Coalition on Alcohol will host a teleconference focusing on the issue of binge drinking on Thursday, March 16, from 12-3 p.m. The teleconference will be shown in room 107 at the Continuing Education building on Center Street and is open the public.

"From Understanding to Action" is presented by John N. Gardner, James Turner, Henry Wechsler, Sharon C. Wilsnack, and moderated by Carolyn Sawyer. The teleconference will discuss factors that contribute to students’ desire to binge drink including hereditary factors as well as societal. It will also address consequences of these actions specifically academic, legal, and medical.

"This is important information to the university and community. Understanding the issues that face new students and how this impacts their first year of experience in the college setting is particularly important to our campus, said Mary Alice Serafini, director of the University of Arkansas Health Center.

"As Chancellor John White and Vice Chancellor Johnetta Cross Brazzell have stated, excessive use of alcohol on the college campus is symptomatic of other serious problems in the college setting such as social values, academic achievement and expectations, stress management

and other health related factors, and legal realities," Serafini said.

The teleconference was made possible through a mini-grant awarded by the Arkansas Community Drug Education Committee (ACDEC). "This teleconference is a wonderful contribution to our knowledge base and we are grateful to ACDEC for the opportunity to bring this to our campus," Serafini said.