Years of effort in tackling campus drinking has finally paid off for MSU. The state officially recognized the university Thursday for its innovative approach to educating students about the effects of alcohol.
State Rep. Paul DeWeese, R-Williamston, presented MSU President M. Peter McPherson with a resolution passed by the state House which recognizes MSU for its education initiatives.
“What MSU did was act as a catalyst for bringing this issue to the public,” DeWeese said. “We’ve been working together to address in an educated and responsible way the issue of alcohol.”
He also congratulated MSU for its use of the Internet as a tool to combat excessive alcohol use.
MSU teamed with Protocare, a company that develops educational software, to develop an interactive Web site that educates students about alcohol use. Protocare owners Dr. Gustav Lo and Tim Mather are MSU alumni. They say they wanted to do something positive for MSU after the March 27-28, 1999, riot.
DeWeese also credited Cindy McCue for her work with BRAD - Be Responsible About Drinking. McCue and her husband John founded BRAD after their son Bradley McCue, an MSU student, died of alcohol poisoning on his 21st birthday on Nov. 5, 1998.
He died after drinking 24 shots of alcohol in two hours at a local bar. His blood-alcohol level was reported at .44 percent, more than four times the amount considered legally drunk.
BRAD sends out birthday cards to college students nationwide and abroad on their 21st birthdays urging them to celebrate responsibly.
Thousands of cards have already been mailed, and a survey released early this year showed almost 65 percent of those who received the birthday notes consumed less alcohol than they would normally on their 21st birthday.
Cindy McCue, who founded BRAD on Feb. 2, 1999, said the state’s recognition was bittersweet.
“It’s good and it’s bad,” she said. “I’d rather not be here - I’d rather not have a reason to be here. But the recognition helps.”
McPherson formed the Alcohol Action Team after the Munn field riot in May 1998. The riot was spurred when administrators banned alcohol from the location. He said MSU’s success comes from looking at alcohol issues in a different light.
“We’ve treated this as a health problem because excessive drinking is a danger to those so engaged and a danger for those around people who are so engaged,” McPherson said.
But he also said the initiatives taken at MSU should extend past the college population.
“This isn’t just about college students, this is a societal issue as well,” McPherson said. “College students aren’t the only ones who drink too much sometimes.”
