BLINN URGES STUDENTS TO “PLAY IT SAFE” DURING SPRING BREAK
Blinn College students entered the Brenham campus Student Center Tuesday to find a number of unusual activities to help them remember one thing: to be careful and stay safe during spring break. A police officer invited them to participate in a sobriety test using “drunk goggles,” a vehicle roll-over simulator tumbled a crash dummy and remote control trucks whizzed around the floors, among other activities.
The demonstrations were part of a week-long effort called “Play It Safe” led by Carol Caddell, registered nurse at the Blinn College Health Clinic.
“We just want our students to remember that while spring break can be a fun and memorable week, it can also have serious consequences if they don’t take precautions,” Caddell said. “People ages 18-25 are statistically at greater risk for drunk driving accidents, alcohol overdose and sexual assault during this one week of the year.”
Several agencies partnered to make the event happen, including the Blinn College Police Department, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Brazos Valley Injury Prevention Coalition, Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse (BVCASA) and the Community Alcohol and Substance Awareness Partnership.
BVCASA and Blinn College announced in November that they have partnered to develop specific strategies to address substance abuse among young adults in the Brenham and Bryan-College Station communities.
BVCASA has received a five-year grant worth $150,000 annually to create awareness of the health consequences of substance abuse, mobilize the community to maximize resources and increase citizen participation so as to ultimately prevent and reduce substance abuse in these communities. Through surveys and data collection, the state of Texas has identified underage/binge drinking, abuse of prescription medications and marijuana use as priorities to be addressed in the grant’s utilization.
Story and photo courtesy of Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse (BVCASA).