Parents
East Carolina University invites you to partner with us to reduce alcohol misuse on campus. A significant step in this partnership is your discussion with your student about his or her behavior regarding alcohol. We realize that many of you have already had this type of discussion, and for that, we sincerely thank you!
Parental involvement and communication regarding student behavior can greatly affect student decision-making. Students who engage in these discussions with their parents/guardians have greater academic success and have fewer disciplinary issues in college.
Alcohol contributes to...
A few stark facts:
- 30% of academic failures
- 75% of violent behavior
- 50% of injuries
- 80% of acquaintance rapes
A few brighter facts:
ECU students have provided us with a wealth of information through on-line and traditional surveys. Every recent study demonstrates that the drug and alcohol use of ECU students closely mirrors the alcohol and drug use of students at colleges nation-wide. However, our goal is not for us to be average, we are continually seeking improvement.
ECU Facts:
- 2 out of 3 ECU students identify themselves as either alcohol abstainers or light drinkers.
- Most ECU students who consume alcohol do so moderately and safely.
- ECU students actually drink less than what they believe they do- 70% drink less than 6 beverages containing alcohol per week. It is important that students realize that heavy alcohol consumption is not the norm!
Tips For Communicating With Your Student About Alcohol:
- Set clear, realistic expectations for academic performance
- Stress that excessive consumption of alcohol can be toxic and even fatal.
- Make it very clear that underage alcohol consumption and driving are against the law and very dangerous.
- Let your student know what expectations you have regarding his or her use of alcohol.
- If your student drinks, emphasize safety and low-risk choices.
Low Risk Drinking: (the safest choice is not drinking!)
- Being 21 or older
- Planning a safe way home from the party before the party
- Eating a meal prior to consuming any alcohol
- Drinking no more than one drink per hour
- Consuming soda or other non-alcoholic drinks sporadically throughout the evening
- Not letting drinking behavior interfere with academic success
- Having friends “watch out” for other friends to assure safety
High Risk Drinking:
- Playing drinking games, “chugging”, drinking “shots” of liquor
- Driving after drinking, or riding with someone else that is driving under the influence
- Drinking on an empty stomach
- Mixing alcohol with medications or other drugs
- Missing class or not keeping up with assignments due to giving priority to “partying” over academic issues.
- Having a blackout, where partial memory from the previous evening is not retrievable.
- Having a high tolerance to alcohol
- Drinking when there exists a significant family history of problems associated with alcohol or other drugs
- Running afoul of ECU and local and state rules and law regarding alcohol use.
An ECU Resource
The Center for Counseling and Student Development, located at 316 Wright Building, provides a full array of counseling services to all currently enrolled ECU students. The counseling is free and strictly confidential. If you are concerned about the alcohol or other drug use of your student, or believe that they may benefit from counseling for another issue, discuss this with your student and encourage them to call 328-6661 for an appointment or for further details about counseling services.
Online Parent Resource
