Football season is right around the corner and drinking is a prime concern for community officials, as the vibrant spirit of college tailgating brings in the likelihood of excessive alcohol consumption.
With this is mind, the Mecklenburg County ABC Board partnered with the UNC Charlotte Police Department to host an alcohol awareness event Sept. 6 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the CHHS Quad.
Other facilities took part in the event by setting up interactive stations which provided students with infographics, personal stories and activities to inform students of the repercussions associated with irresponsible alcohol consumption–these facilities included the Dean of Students Office, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, Highway Patrol, Monroe Police Department and Mecklenburg County Safe.
A student attempts a field sobriety test where she must walk in a straight line while wearing drunk googles. Photo by Pooja Pasupula.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg ABC Board and The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department allowed participating students to drive golf carts while wearing drunk goggles and take Standard Field Sobriety Tests.
Students who completed the challenge had the opportunity to get a free t-shirt and wristband while learning firsthand about the risks of driving while impaired.
“One of our initiatives is that we want to partner with any college or university that will partner with us to help keep their students safe,” said Julia Paul, community outreach director of the Mecklenburg ABC Board. “We brought these sobriety tests to help people really see what it feels like before they make that fatal mistake.”
Gabrielle Williams also took part in the event by sharing a her story of her best friend who died by the hands of a drunk driver, providing a new perspective on the poignant impacts of drunk driving.
“Me and my best friend Lacee Sullivan were driving down I-77 and got hit from behind by a drunk driver that was going over 100 miles per hour,” said Williams. “We ended up flipping off of the interstate and she completely lost consciousness. I never saw her after that.”
The vehicle from the incident was brought out for display in the CHHS Quad, with a poster commemorating Sullivan in front of the vehicle. Williams is now sharing her best friend’s story on a larger scale to help prevent similar tragedies in the realm of alcohol and drug use.
The possibility of student conduct repercussions is a notorious fear among college students when it comes to seeking help when one’s health is put at risk from drugs or alcohol.
The Dean of Students Office had a panel at the event to introduce the newly revised Help Seeking Protocol, a process that allows students to utilize community and campus resources for help without the barrier of student conduct liabilities if proper measures are taken.
“We want to ensure that students have a safe experience, especially with football coming up and make sure students realize that they have options,” says Officer Jerry Lecomte, a coordinator of UNC Charlotte’s Community-Oriented Police Division. “If there’s a call to be made when somebody’s had too much to drink or they are afraid for their friend’s safety, we are a resource on campus. They can call us and we can find them help.”
Lecomte also noted that there are a number of recovery resources available for students who feel they are having issues with alcohol management through the collegiate recovery community.
Anuvia, a treatment and recovery center funded by the Mecklenburg ABC Board, was one of these resources available at the event to talk to students about seeking professional help.
With the prominent tailgate culture of college athletics approaching soon, Lecomte advises students to be sound decision makers in response to peer pressure and utilize campus resources, such as the newly revised Help Seeking Protocol, in situations where help is necessary.