Drink-free student accommodation and more reporting of cheap alcohol promotions are among plans to widen action against the harmful effects of alcohol by University College Cork.
Around 3,500 new students at the college in the coming weeks will be targeted with a number of ongoing initiatives to raise awareness around the potential harms of drink and drug abuse. As well as students, academic and other staff are being trained to recognise if someone may have addiction issues and refer them to university health, counselling or other services.
While residents near the campus and other student accommodation centres continue to complain about anti-social behaviour, the strategy includes a number of plans to make the campus and local environment safe from alcohol-related harm.
Dr Michael Byrne, head of UCC’s student health department, said one idea being considered is making some of the college’s student accommodation centres drink and drug-free.
"Often, by third of fourth year in college, students will prefer to be in quieter surroundings anyway. We would like to have it in place on a voluntary basis in the next two or three years, but you couldn’t change it straight away as people may have long-term rental contracts."
Source: Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 31/08/2012
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