COLUMBUS, Miss – Mississippi University for Women’s Counseling Center, Office of the Dean and Office of Housing and Residence Life will host various events this week as part of National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week.
According to recent statistics, American campuses show high rates of substance abuse and dependency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that deaths from drug overdose now outnumber those caused by car accidents, with an average of 110 overdose deaths per day and more than half of those involving opioids.
“We hope to educate our campus community on alcohol and other drugs through our series of events. We want to take it one step further this week to educate our campus on opioids. We do not fully grasp the dangers of these highly addictive and lethal substances. I want to ensure our students know the resources we have on and off campus,” said Sirena Cantrell, dean of students at The W.
On Tuesday Oct. 17th, a table with the theme "Be-Wis-Er": Making the Responsible Choice will be setup in the cafeteria lobby from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students will learn about the effects of alcohol and given literature about alcohol awareness.
On Wednesday Oct. 18th, guest speaker Mark Sterner will talk about "DUI: A Powerful Lesson. One Night Can Change It All." at 7 p.m. in Parkinson Hall, Nissan Auditorium. He will share his personal story that forced him to confront his own decisions and make students realize how drinking and driving can cause an everlasting impact on their friends, families and themselves.
Sterner has been a keynote speaker for the Northeastern Greek Leadership Association, Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values—Central, Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values—West, the BACCHUS and GAMMA Peer Education Network’s General Assembly and the Mid-American Collegiate Health Association’s conference.
On Thursday Oct. 19th, a table with the theme "Know Your O's" will be setup in the cafeteria lobby from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students will learn about what opioids are and how to protect themselves from the addiction.
For more information about the events, please contact Sirena Cantrell at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (662) 241-6083.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 16, 2017
Contact: Urusha Silwal
(662) 497-8028
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.