On May 13, Mt. SAC’s Student Health Services department hosted their third annual Alcohol Awareness event, following their previous health education events such as the Road Map to Better Health and Staying Safe Together.
Even though ‘A Shot Of Reality’ took place during May, April is officially known as national Alcohol Awareness month. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence initiated the annual campaign in 1987 in order to destigmatize alcoholism and provide awareness and education on alcohol misuse.
“A lot of people will drink for different types of stressors in their lives,” Jonathan Tran, registered nurse practitioner for Student Health Services said. He highlighted that a main reason why college students may drink is due to peer pressure.
Students were guided from the first station, which provided basic information such as detailing what a standard drink of alcohol is, to the last station where mocktails and mocktail menus were given to participating students for free.
In order to simulate the visual impairment and disorientation that comes with drunkenness, beer goggles were provided and used for activities to test how accurately they could complete them.
“When I set my hat and glasses on the ground I couldn’t pick my glasses back up,” said Kenneth Petrick, an addiction counseling major. “I couldn’t see where I was grabbing, which is comparative with being super blasted.”
Having real life demonstrations and percentages in relation to the dangers of alcohol increases awareness of the short and long term risks, as is the main goal of the Student Health Services department in hosting these events in the first place.
One of the leading causes of death in the United States for college students is related to alcohol, stated Tran. According to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 4.2 million full-time college students in the age range of 18-25 reported that they drank in the past month before the survey was conducted.
“There’s a real danger [and] because it’s preventable, it’s not something you want to happen, especially since we have the tools and education here to help prevent them [alcohol-related deaths],” Tran said.
For further information and additional resources, the Student Health Center is located at building 67B – 410, with available appointments at 909-274-4400 or [email protected].
