UMaine to Host Alcohol Prevention Meeting Feb. 6
Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571
ORONO — The University of Maine has been selected to host a statewide Higher Education Alcohol Prevention Partnership (HEAPP) meeting on Friday Feb. 6. UMaine is one of 17 partner schools working with the state Office of Substance Abuse on a statewide initiative to implement five strategies to reduce alcohol abuse: limiting alcohol availability, restricting marketing and promotion of alcohol, increasing enforcement of laws and policies, offering alcohol-free social and recreational options, and creating healthful environments.
“As a result of this work, we hope to see several positive developments,” says Lauri Sidelko, UMaine’s director of Substance Abuse Services. “We intend to develop a statewide infrastructure to facilitate cooperative efforts, to engage top-level administrators in addressing alcohol issues, to adopt a comprehensive plan, and to work on allocating sufficient resources to deal with this issue.”
The Feb. 6 meeting will focus on the structure and goals for the statewide initiative. This project aims to bring about long-term, systemic change in how college high-risk drinking is addressed at both the state and local level.
“As a founding member of numerous efforts to eliminate abusive college – age drinking UMaine has developed procedures and programs that have successfully engaged students in the discussion related to alcohol abuse prevention and a notable reduction in drinking-related negative consequences on campus,” Sidelko says. “Involvement in programs like HEAPP will help us continue that momentum.”
The Feb. 6 meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Bangor Room of UMaine’s Memorial Union. For more information, contact the Office of Substance Abuse Prevention Services at the University of Maine, 207-581-1423.