Wednesday, April 21, 1999
Teens hear peers on alcohol
Collegians share warnings about drinking
BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
NEWPORT — Slipping a date rape drug into someone's drink is so easy, most people don't even see it happen.
The most common drug is tasteless and colorless and can render a person helpless.
That's one of the things Newport Central Catholic freshmen learned Tuesday from five Northern Kentucky University students who came to share experiences with and information about alcohol.
“We're not here to tell you what to do or to give you false pretenses of what's outside high school,” NKU junior Crystal Caldill said. “We want to educate you so that you can make responsible decisions.”
The group first reminded students that it is illegal to drink if they are under 21.
To get students talking, the NKU group passed out cups of juice and told students to mingle. Many left their cups on their desks, or turned away from their glasses. When students returned to their seats, some cups of juice had Tic Tacs floating inside.
“We just wanted to demonstrate how easy it was for us to put something in your drinks,” NKU senior Misty Steen said.
The visit is part of NKU's Peers Educating Peers program, which puts college students together with high schoolers to give them the straight facts about alcohol.
“I think it's important for them to hear the message from people they can relate to,” NewCath health teacher Jenny Mertle said. “You can only hear so much from your parents, teachers and coaches.”
When NKU junior Ryan Haggard asked whether anyone knew what made up a drink, no one had the answer. But a handful of students, in an anonymous writing exercise, told of drinking alcohol at parties. One student knew a person killed in a drunken-driving accident. Another student was arrested for drinking. One spent a night in jail.
Students were also asked to choose things most important in their lives, like money, religion, grades, family, good health, freedom, a career, self-respect and trust. Then the NKU students told them to narrow that list to one item.
“When you choose to go out and party, you put a lot of these things at risk,” Ms. Caldill said. “When you choose alcohol, choices are made for you.”
NewCath freshman Robyn Tucker wanted to know why the NKU students do the peer education program. Miss Steen said she doesn't want to share the roads with drunken drivers and is a sorority member who wants to stop the negative image of Greek life.
Mr. Haggard said he just wants to share what he knows. “We've been through high school and we saw what happens.”
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