SAMHSA and SU discuss alcohol use

 
The Southern University department of psychology held its annual town hall meeting Tuesday to make students aware of college campus drinking and drug use.
Students heard testimonials and information about use and its effects on and off of college campuses.
Alaina Holliday, a senior psychology major from Zachary, La., said other people might take the knowledge that they gained and do what they want with it.
Dyresha Wallace, a freshman nursing major from Alexandria, La., said that the program was very insightful in giving prevention tips.​
The Baton Rouge Police Department detectives gave students insight on the legal aspects of alcohol and drug use.​​​
Detective Jeff Throckmorton said that he personally liked attending events like the town hall because he had two first cousins who were victims killed in drunk driving accidents.
“There’s more consequences involved with drinking and driving than just the legal aspects,” Throckmorton said.
Throckmorton said he sees the pain on the faces of his aunt and uncle at family gatherings because they lost their children to a drunk driver.
“That’s why I appreciate the opportunity to come here and talk about it,” Throckmorton said.
According to the Core Institute’s Alcohol and Drug Survey (conducted in April 2011), 53 percent of Southern University students, under 21 years of age, used alcohol in the within the past 30 days.​
Approximately 29 percent of students on SU’s campus have performed poorly on a test due to alcohol use while 31 percent have missed a class because of alcohol use. An estimated 23 percent have indicated that they have unsuccessfully tried to stop using alcohol, according to the survey.
In 2011, in the third data collection for SU students, other 2-4 year Louisiana institutions started using the Core Alcohol and Drug survey.
Throckmorton said sex crimes are another consequence of alcohol. 
“We handle a lot of cases where females go to ‘The End-Zone’ or other bars, they get there and start consuming some alcoholic beverages and the next thing you know they wake up in an apartment partially nude and don’t even know what happened to them,” Throckmorton said.
According to Jeff McDowell, BRPD detective the legal blood alcohol content for the state of Louisiana is 0.08 if persons are 21 or over.
For underage persons the blood alcohol content for driving is 0.02.
Wallace tried the drunken goggles, which impairs vision simulating to the vision of an intoxicated person.
“It put me in the perspective as if I was a drunk person,” Wallace said.
“If anyone underage consumes alcohol, they are considered legally intoxicated,” McDowell said.
​Baton Rouge has open container law, which prohibits alcohol containers to be open in public.
“If you’re in an immediate area of your guardian and you’re 18, then you can legally consume alcohol,” McDowell said.
Students in the meeting said that they were not aware of that law and they did not know that underage drinking with supervision was legal.​
“I already have knowledge of the information,” said Holliday.
Holliday said overall the meeting was well put together and worth attending.​
“I learned you can drink with a spouse or parent while you’re under aged,” Wallace said. “I didn’t know you can drink with parents while under aged.​
Wallace said the program was a big eye opener for her.
The event was sponsored by the substance abuse mental health service administration (SAMHSA) which sponsors and hosts events all over the country promoting alcohol awareness.
Core Institute is a five person department at Southern Illinois University. They conduct the Alcohol and Drug Survey at 33 2-4 year Louisiana institutions.​