The Division of Student Affairs recently launched BE Wise, a campaign that brings awareness about alcohol poisoning to Syracuse University’s campus.

The purpose of BE Wise is to educate students about alcohol poisoning, prevent the condition and help recognize its signs. The campaign is not meant to solve the problem, but to prevent it, said Katelyn Cowen, a health and wellness promotions specialist at SU.

“This is one way that students can gain awareness and can learn how to identify alcohol poisoning and learn how to respond,” Cowen said.

The campaign came to fruition after the Division of Student Affairs analyzed the consumption of alcohol on campus, and decided to take action to prevent cases of alcohol poisoning from increasing, Cowen said.

About 1,825 people in the United States between the ages 18-24 die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries. BE Wise was designed to bring knowledge to the issue in light of these alarming statistics, she said.

BE Wise will participate in a T-shirt toss and wristband giveaway during the Feb. 10men’s basketball game against St. John’s and a barbecue on the Quad in April, Cowen said.

Some students feel that BE Wise is important because it can help maintain safety on campus.

Hannah Louys, a senior television, radio and film and psychology major, said she likes the idea of the campaign because she feels a lot of students on campus drink irresponsibly and are not knowledgeable of safety measures.

Sophomore public relations major Danielle Benavides agreed. She said the campaign is a great idea. She said she hopes it will help destigmatize the idea of alcohol poisoning among students.

“I feel like people care for their friends, but a lot of times they don’t respond out of fear of getting them in trouble with the school or their parents, and that needs to change.” Benavides said.

She added that she hopes this campaign will not only teach how to prevent alcohol poisoning, but also the importance of recognizing it and responding when it happens.

So far, students have responded with a lot of support for the campaign on social media sites, retweeting and sending messages, saidBritni Coe, account supervisor of the campaign. But since it just kicked off during the spring semester, no surveys to evaluate its outcome have been distributed yet.

BE Wise has been in the works for the past two years, Coe said. She added this is the first campaign of its kind on campus, and hopes to start a conversation among students about this often-avoided topic.

Said Coe: “We’re not going to stop students from drinking, or tell them not to do it. We want them to be responsible and careful, and to look out for one another.”

Published on January 30, 2013 at 12:13 am

Contact Angie at antoribi@syr.edu