Alcohol awareness month helps students learn about responsible drinking.
Alcohol awareness month takes place in April each year in the United States and provides an opportunity to educate schools and communities about alcohol abuse prevention. Certain activities help educate individuals around the country who may participate in underage drinking or other forms of alcohol abuse. The idea behind alcohol awareness month involves encouraging responsible drinking behavior.
Victim Impact Panel
This panel should portray people victimized by the misuse of alcohol. This could include people affected by a drunk driver or an alcoholic family member. During the panel, the group should sit in a line in front of the crowd. Each member of the group can tell her story. Then the crowd should have the ability to ask questions of the victim panel. This will help members of the crowd understand the impact that alcohol abuse has on the people who care about them.
Fatal Vision Goggles
The Business Research Institute's Hospital Administration Curriculum describes fatal vision goggles as an effective means for teaching possible consequences of alcohol misuse. Fatal vision goggles allow the audience to see the difference between their vision when drinking and when sober. Have an individual wearing the goggles attempt to walk in a straight line. Then have a sober individual walk in that same line. Encourage the crowd to observe the differences. Oftentimes, police officers have these goggles and are willing to bring them to locations to promote responsible drinking. You can also buy these goggles through an online venue such as amazon.com or enasco.com.
Alcohol Test
Offer individuals at schools, community centers and offices a screening process to see if they have an alcohol disorder. The Michigan Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking uses a screening questionnaire called AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). This helps screen individuals who currently have an alcohol-related disorder or could possibly have one in the future. This questionnaire will open a line of communication to discuss possible problems with alcoholism.
Alcohol Debates
Encourage a debate on alcohol-related topics. Provide subjects such as reducing the drinking age and raising the legal limit. Place one group of individuals for the status quo and one group against. Have the debaters research their prospective topics and present a debate to the intended crowd. This will help the individuals make knowledgeable decisions about alcohol and encourage discussion of alcohol responsibility.
Tags: alcohol abuse, awareness month, responsible drinking, about alcohol, Alcohol awareness
