Wellness Resource Center targets pre-game drinking
Most students drink in moderation before football games.
Published Sept. 11, 2009
The Wellness Resource Center, the NCAA and the MU Athletics Department have teamed up to start a campaign aimed at curtailing excessive drinking before football games.
The center, which received a $15,000 grant from the NCAA and another $15,000 from the Athletics Department to begin the campaign, set out to inform tailgaters their peers aren't drinking as much as they'd expect. This year, $10,000 from each organization will go toward the implementation of the program, while $5,000 from each will be used to continue the efforts next year.
Wellness Resource Center Director Kim Dude said the campaign started out of a desire to make tailgating safer and more enjoyable for everyone.
Although the campaign also focuses on decreasing littering and improving sportsmanship to create a better overall tailgating experience, a fan base more educated about its alcohol intake plays a major role in bettering that experience.
"People do not want to be around people who are drunk, disruptive and aggressive," Dude said.
By posting signs informing students of the drinking habits of others throughout tailgating areas, Dude said she hopes those who drink before games will be inspired to cut down on their own drinking. One such sign informs students that most MU tailgaters have zero to four alcoholic drinks while tailgating.
The main goal, Dude said, is to ensure students "know that most tailgaters drink in moderation and enjoy hanging out with friends and family more than they enjoy drinking."
At this point in the campaign, some students remain either skeptical or uninformed. Tailgaters who were aware of the signs did not always take them seriously, skeptical of the statistics they displayed.
Sophomore Scott Valentine wasn't so skeptical of the numbers, but echoed the sentiment that the campaign would not be as effective as the Wellness Resource Center intends.
"People choose to drink because its kind of tradition and it makes the games more fun," Valentine said. "It's a personal choice."
The primary concern for Dude is the misinterpretation of the campaign's intentions.
"We are not trying to get rid of alcohol from tailgating," Dude said. "We are simply trying to help better ensure safe tailgating where fans are having a good time."
As for the questions of the program's effectiveness, Dude said she is well aware this campaign will not bring excessive drinking before games to an end. Still, she said she remains confident it will be a success.
"Some people will drink too much no matter what we do," Dude said. "But I am hopeful our effort will empower those who are responsible to know that they are in the majority."
