Friday Night Live Continues Three-Year
Fight Against Binge Drinking
Date: Sept. 11, 2001
By: Dawn Fuller
Photo by Lisa Britton
Phone: (513) 556-1823
Archive: General News
Cincinnati -- Friday Night Live, a University of Cincinnati initiative to provide alcohol-free, entertainment free of charge to students, begins its third year on campus with an ice cream social 9-10 p.m. Sept. 14 in the residence halls.
The Friday Night Live initiative, created by the UC Wellness Center and funded by departments and organizations across campus, kicks off the weekend with a fun party atmosphere that draws hundreds of students to an environment that's substance-free.
A national survey released Aug. 29 by the American Medical Association found 95-percent of adults and parents believe excessive alcohol consumption is a serious threat to college-age children. Although the majority of those surveyed felt college students are accountable for their behavior, they felt an environment that provides easy access to inexpensive alcohol is a key factor in binge drinking.
"When students enter college and are away from home for the first time, they're also experiencing independence for the first time and that can lead to experimentation in their lifestyle. Friday Night Live not only encourages students to have fun in an alcohol-free environment, but it also creates a positive atmosphere on campus," says Kirsten Lupinski, director of the UC Wellness Center.
The fall lineup for Friday Night Live includes:
Sept. 14, 9 p.m. - Ice cream social in the residence halls
Sept. 21, all day - Bearcat Blast on the upper turf practice field
Sept. 28, 7 p.m. - Fall concert, Sigma Sigma Commons. The bands are Red Wanting Blue and Homunculus.
Oct. 19, 8 p.m. - Fall dance in the Event Pavilion. Free salsa and hip hop lessons.
In addition to the creation of Friday Night Live, the UC Wellness Center has a rack of brochures at the office - located in Student Life Pavilion South - covering health-related issues, including the dangers of alcohol abuse. One of the brochures outlines a survey of 140 college campuses, which found binge drinkers were up to 10 times more likely to have unplanned sex, engage in unprotected sex, become injured, damage property or have to answer to campus police. Other brochures provide tips on how to say "No" to peer pressure, information on alcohol poisoning, and advice on confronting a friend with a drinking problem.
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