The program started Aug. 30 and applies to the first six weeks of classes.

MSU and East Lansing’s desire to prevent alcohol-related issues is commendable, but we see this program in particular as a waste of time and money for all involved.

When looked at realistically, this program will have a miniscule effect on curbing underage drinking. The number of students caught with an MIP who decide to change their ways after a short counseling session would be extremely small, if not nonexistent.

Although few students might benefit, we imagine most will be less than truthful with the counselor or whoever is conducting the sessions, feigning regret simply in an effort to “get things over with.”

We understand that the city thinks its image suffers when rowdy partiers go out at night. But East Lansing always has been a college town. No amount of counseling, plea bargains or preventative programs ever will change that. And if the city and university really care about students’ well-being, why do these counseling sessions only apply to the first six weeks of classes?

Granted, this is when many freshmen start drinking, but shouldn’t curbing alcohol problems be a year-round concern? These arbitrary restrictions call the university and city’s sincerity into question.

Perhaps this program would be a good idea if it gave students a way to opt out of a harsher sentence, such as waiving or reducing a fine. But students will end up with the same penalties as before, with an added waste of their time.

Also, many of us have been subjected to alcohol “resistance” programs when we were in middle school or high school, in an effort to prevent students from getting hooked on bad substances. But many studies have shown these programs are ineffective.

The DARE program, for instance, was classified by the surgeon general in 2001 as a program that “does not work.” In fact, many studies of DARE and programs like it have shown that it actually has an adverse boomerang effect, with those who are exposed to drugs and alcohol and their consequences more curious to try them.

If preventative programs don’t work in high school, what makes the city of East Lansing think they can intervene early in college, in an atmosphere where underage drinking is more prevalent and accepted?

The benefits of this program simply don’t outweigh the monetary costs, which incidentally haven’t been disclosed by the university. For better or for worse, MIPs are a fact of university life, and no amount of raising or adding penalties will change that.