The new "50 Cent" tracks are blasting through the speakers at the packed club on South Beach. You are with your friends, dancing, chatting and scanning the sun-tanned faces of the familiar Spring Break crowd. You normally don't drink heavily, but it is Spring Break and a time to celebrate the end of midterms. On the other hand, this is South Beach. Your hotel is not as close to the club as Lambeth is to Theta Delt, and Escort is not around to bring you home. How can you have fun and also be a responsible spring breaker?
To help answer this question, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team is sponsoring a Spring Break Program this week.
"The point of the program is to encourage students to be responsible drinkers if they are going to drink during Spring Break," said Moira Fogarty, third-year College student and ADAPT incoming vice chair. "We picked spring break because it is a time when a lot of students go away to big party places like Florida or Cancun with friends."
As part of the program, ADAPT members are passing out spring break kits on the Lawn Monday and Tuesday. Students are encouraged to sign a pledge card, promising to drink responsibly.
"When you sign that, you are entered in a raffle to win a jeep, and you get a bag," Fogarty said.
Containing typical travel necessities such as travel size deodorants, toothpaste, shampoos, candy, granola bars and sunscreen, the bags also include pamphlets about drinking and resource information.
Three wallet-size cards can be lifesavers for students who decide to drink but wish to be safe, Fogarty said. One card, a Guardian Angel Breathalyzer, will determine blood alcohol level and say whether or not it is safe for the person to drive. The other two cards are a BAC chart and a resource for local taxi numbers.
In addition to the lawn packages, ADAPT is sponsoring two events on alcohol awareness in Newcomb Hall Theater.
Tuesday at 7 p.m., Linda Hancock, a popular speaker on alcohol and health, will give a presentation titled "Love 'n Liquor." Hancock's presentation will be about alcohol and its relationship to sex and dating, Fogarty said.
ADAPT will follow with a presentation Wednesday at 5 p.m. called "Work Hard, Play Hard," which will deal with alcohol issues at the University.
"Basically, it is a program on social norms," Fogarty said. "It is a pressure unlike peer pressure that is in the culture. People think that more people are drinking and being irresponsible than really are."
Fogarty added that ADAPT has solid numbers from surveys and will have scenarios and audience participation in order to meet their goal.
"It would be great to raise awareness," Fogarty said. "And hopefully people will remember to use their resources."
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