Parent Awareness and Education Programs
"Perils of the College Drinking Culture” Forums Set for 2013
Fairfax County college-bound students and their parents are invited to take advantage of attending together one of four regional "Perils of the College Drinking Culture" forums set for 2013. The highly acclaimed program of the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County (UPC) kicked off Jan. 17 at McLean High School, and additional programs are set for May and July. The forums aim to prepare families for what students will face at college related to underage and binge drinking.
PREVIEW THE EDITED, 36-MINUTE DOCUMENTARY; copyrighted by the Gordie Center for Substance Abuse Prevention at the University of Virginia for private use only. Duplication, re-broadcast or other use in whole or part without the express permission of the Gordie Center is prohibited.
Red Apple 21 Video
The forum, done in collaboration with the Fairfax County Police Department, includes viewing of an award-winning powerful (and graphic) documentary, HAZE, followed by a panel discussion with local experts and extensive Q & A.
In 2013, McLean and Westfield High Schools will host the first two forums, and Northern Virginia Community College will co-sponsor the final two events at its Ernst Community Cultural Center located on the Annandale campus. The 2013 schedule includes:
- Thursday, Jan. 17 at McLean High School auditorium in McLean View article from this event.
- Thursday, May 16 at Westfield High School auditorium in Chantilly
- Wednesday, May 22 at Northern Virginia Community College's Ernst Community Cultural Center, Annandale
- Wednesday, July 31 at Northern Virginia Community College's Ernst Community Cultural Center, Annandale
Each forum will be held from 7 to 9 p.m.
Among those who will take part in the program and/or serve on the distinguished panel in 2013: Deputy County Executive David Rohrer; Ray Morrogh, Commonwealth's Attorney for Fairfax County, and his deputy Casey Lingan; William Hauda, M.D., Inova Fairfax Hospital; Fairfax County Police Captain Bruce Ferguson, Commander, Community Resources Division; Jeff Levy, father of a student who died following drinking at a college party; Mary Ann Sprouse, director of the Wellness, Alcohol and Violence Education and Services (WAVES) at George Mason University (GMU); Ryan Smith, a Virginia Tech graduate student; and other local students.
The forum was launched in 2010 by UPC, and those attended urged that the program be continued and expanded.
Feedback has been positive, with participants praising the film, HAZE, for raising the awareness of the college drinking culture and for the breadth of the panel that answers questions from the audience. 
The program is part of an ongoing effort by county leaders to address the health and legal risks associated with underage and binge drinking.
"This is a valuable program, and we encourage parents and students to attend in 2013," said Sara Freund, UPC's deputy executive director who coordinates the forums.
For more information, contact Sara Freund.
In February 2013, the Perils program was recognized with a national award at the leadership conference of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), the nation’s largest training conference on substance abuse
prevention, treatment, recovery and research. Those attending the conference's IDEAS Fair voted the Perils program as the winner of the "People's Choice Award."
"This program should be extended across Virginia, in every community."
"HAZE should be required viewing for all high school students. It is a powerful movie."
Other Resource Links
- View 2013 Flyer
- View Press Release on 2013 forums
- NIAA College Fact Sheet: Underage College Drinking: A Significant Public Health Problem—According to a 4-page College Drinking fact sheet (April 2012) published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), abusive and underage college drinking is a significant public health problem, and such drinking exacts an enormous toll on the intellectual and social lives of college students across the United States. The fact sheet summarizes recent statistics on the consequences of drinking among college students and recommendations for addressing college drinking.
- Ivy League universities are cracking down on out-of-control behavior as drinking, hazing and sexual harassment endanger students and tarnish schools' reputations.