RIC athletics program tackles alcohol use

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island College athletics department has developed a new program to address alcohol consumption among college students, using a $30,000 grant from the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
The Gold Medal Choices Alcohol Awareness program will sponsor a series of campus events and speakers, including an event that took place last month in which a mother spoke about the alcohol-related death of her son.
The program also includes mentoring, peer education and the distribution of materials to assist and inform students about the dangers of alcohol consumption. An advisory committee, consisting of RIC students, faculty, and staff, is coordinating the program.
The NCAA Gold Medal Choices grant will support the program at RIC for the next three years, by making available $15,000 for the first year, $10,000 for the second, and $5,000 for the final year. •