OUSA staff member gets buzzy on US excursion.

by Guy Wilson | 3:16 pm 11/07/2010

A new ‘40-point drinking plan’ has been floated to deal with Scarfie alcohol abuse. The plan is the product of a year-long trip to the US by OUSA Events Manager Vanessa Reddy.

Reddy toured dozens of major US universities, investigating how different campuses have tackled the problem of student drinking. She received funding from several sources for the trip, including $3000 from the OUSA Professional Development Fund, which was apporoved by the Ececutive. The University also bankrolled her to the tune of $20 000, and the DCC chipped in with a cool $17 000. This money paid for her flights, accommodation, living costs and drinks. Separately, Reddy was also paid for 5 hours a week at her normal wage level for liasing with the temporary replacement OUSA Events Manager.

Reddy has presented the four and a half page plan to the University, and some of the initiatives in it could go into effect soon. Ideas from the plan include increased scheduling of classes and tests on Friday mornings, upping the price of alcohol around campus, and greater promotion of clubs and activities. The most radical idea, however, is the creation of a ‘sober-up’ facility, where intoxicated students are held and monitored until their Blood Alcohol Level (BAC) reaches a certain ‘safe’ level. Under her proposal, students would then be released and issued with a $200 bill, payable within one week (unless the student can prove financial hardship). If the bill is not settled within that time, it would be forwarded to the student’s parent.

Reddy has made it clear that such plans would be a long-term solution to the Scarfie drinking problem, and the effects gradual. The plan is aimed at changing the entire culture of alcohol use in Dunedin, and addresses issues such as accommodation and attitudes towards academics. 

After viewing the plan, Critic can say it would have been happy to produce a similar report for $100 and some free pizza. Many of the plan’s points seem to be plain commonsense statements “38. Funding: Change costs money. Seeking grants form [sic] key stakeholders will be important.” “39. Measure: It is important that we find a way to show what has been achieved, especially when it comes to funding.” Others are throwaway aspirational taglines: “40. If we don’t have faith this will come about, we will lose hope and focus very easily. Slavery was abolished, smoking is no longer in the workplace, and women have the vote. Changing a culture’s beliefs is possible.” There are also some initiatives which are unlikely to appeal to anyone over the age of ten, including a plan to help students manage their ‘buzz’ by sending them texts reminding them to drink water and eat food while out on a Saturday night.

OUSA President Harriet Geoghegan was non-committal regarding the plan “We’re supportive of measures to minimise harm but we’re yet to make a call on how far to go with it.”

“Having one person stepping back and taking an holistic view about Otago’s drinking culture is a good thing,” Geoghegan says. “Even if some of the ideas seem simple or obvious and some of them may have been initiated already.”

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