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Sept. 27, 2002--Students living in UD residence halls will receive a letter next week from Kathleen Kerr, director of residence life, alerting them to 19 recent incidents involving the abuse of alcohol on campus and asking for their help.
In her letter, Kerr notes that, over the past four weeks, there have been 19 incidents in which students in UD residence halls have been transported to the hospital or health center to be treated for an alcohol overdose, and several of them had blood alcohol levels there were potentially lethal.
After recounting three specific incidents, Kerr writes, “Each of these students, and the other 16, could have been assaulted, victimized or could have died. Their lives were saved because someone took the time to intervene and get them help. I am afraid that on a different night, another UD student may not be so fortunate.”
In her letter, Kerr then asks each student to help by talking to their friends and telling them that such behavior is “not cool or fun” for either the person who overdoses or for that person’s friends and hallmates who must live with the mess. Similarly, she writes, it is a bad situation for students “who have to live with the fact that they left a drunk friend vulnerable and on their own.
“Tell your friends and floor mates that that these students are not to be imitated, but rather are examples of how not to behave. You don't look good when you're drunk. You won't make friends when you're vomiting or staggering around,” she says. “Tell them now before one of them dies.”
The letter also will include a phone number (302-831-8992) and web site [www.udel.edu/brc/partyguideoncampus.html] that students can go to for more information, as well as the phone number to call (9-911 on campus or 911 off campus) if they find someone in need of medical attention due to over-consumption of alcohol.
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