Experts will seek solutions at alcohol abuse symposium in October

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A one-day symposium in the fall will present a multi-faceted look at alcohol abuse on campus and beyond.Alcohol, Campuses, and Communities: Partnering for Solutions is set for Monday, Oct. 7, at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel on the University Park campus of Penn State.Symposium organizers’ objectives are:-- To bring together students, faculty, staff, administration, community members, and parents and families to engage in discussion around alcohol, campuses and communities;-- To foster collaboration among researchers and practitioners in the area of high-risk drinking; and-- To facilitate learning and dialogue across constituencies.The keynote speakers will be Aaron White, program director of College and Underage Drinking Prevention Research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and Thomas Workman, principal communication researcher and evaluator in the Health Program at the American Institutes for Research.According to Student Affairs’ most recent annual report on drinking, 43.9 percent of Penn State students reported binge drinking – four or more drinks for women and five or more for men in a two-hour period – in the previous two weeks.The conference has grown from efforts between Penn State and State College Borough to weaken the annual State Patty’s Day drinking holiday. Held each February, the student-organized event leads to an uptick in emergency room visits, arrests and vandalism.“The health and well-being of students is of the utmost concern at the University, and we hope this event furthers the dialogue about alcohol abuse on campus and in the community,” said Damon Sims, vice president for Student Affairs at Penn State. “A solution to such a complex problem requires a diverse group of voices at the table, and we expect a wealth of insight from University and borough leaders, law enforcement officers, researchers, health care professionals and students.”For more information or to register, go to http://www.outreach.psu.edu/alcohol-symposium/.