No disciplinary action in Acadia binge-drinking episode

Letters sent to parents, procedures reviewed

Binge drinking means five drinks or more per hour for men and four drinks or more per hour for women. Source: CBC. Photo credit: Krista Armstrong

Acadia says it has dealt with a binge-drinking episode that sent four students to hospital in late September.

The university says it launched an internal investigation, including interviews with the students involved and those who witnessed the event. It determined that the students had “overindulged” and that it didn’t need to take disciplinary action.

University spokesperson Scott Roberts says that, despite published reports, there was no incidence of alcohol poisoning at Acadia on Sept. 26. Emergency Health Services were called by campus security after a student fell and hit her head. While EHS workers were there, they picked up four other students in their late teens and early-20s and took them to the hospital to be evaluated for possible alcohol poisoning. Roberts says all students are fine and were back on campus within a few hours.

The incident happened on the night of the annual Mr. & Mrs. Eden Party, which Roberts says is an alcohol-free event in the outdoor area between the residences.

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About one-third of Acadia’s 3,000 students live in residence. Source & photo credit: Wikipedia

What to do if you think someone has alcohol poisoning

Source: Readers' Digest

Acting quickly can save the life of someone suffering from alcohol poisoning. Symptoms to watch for:

• unconsciousness or semiconsciousness; the person cannot be awakened; mental confusion
• no response to pinching the skin
• cold, clammy, pale or bluish skin
• slow breathing (eight breaths or less per minute or lapses of more than ten seconds between breaths)
• vomiting, especially if the person is asleep or unconscious
• seizures

Not all symptoms need to be present.

What to do:

• Call 911 or get medical help immediately
• Do not leave the person alone
• Do not leave the person on his or her back; he or she may choke on vomit
• Gently turn the person on his or her side, with his head on his hand and his leg providing stabilization so he can't roll over
• Stay with the person until help arrives

Shaina Latner, a U of T transfer student who is in her first year student at Acadia, says the party starts unofficially in the residence rooms, where men and women are encouraged to drink a certain amount before engaging in a fashion show outside. Latner, who is 20 years old and in her third year of study, did not participate nor did she hear about the episode until a few days later.

The Acadia Students’ Union met with house councils and reviewed procedures related to house events. Meetings followed which reminded the 1,100 students in residence of the rules and code of conduct. Drinking is allowed in residence rooms only by students who are 19 years or older. A letter went out by administration to first-year parents the following week. The letter detailed the incident and informed parents of the policy related to drinking in residence. Roberts says the letter has garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback from parents.

Latner says her parents did not receive the letter.

“I sure as hell would have heard about it if they’d got it.”

She says her roommates’ parents didn’t get a letter either, but thinks it may be because they live in an upper-year residence.

Latner, who doesn’t know the students involved, is surprised the media have made “such a big deal” about it. She says the attitude toward drinking at Acadia is “much more mature” than at other universities and thinks things like this probably happen frequently at bigger schools.

Roberts says drinking is strictly monitored on campus. Residence assistants are responsible for ensuring that no underage drinking happens in residence and wristbands and ID checks are required at all campus events.

“Even I get a wristband,” laughs the 50-year-old Roberts.

He says that safety is a top priority for the school and residence assistants are given two weeks of training prior to the beginning of the school year, including First Aid & CPR, conflict resolution and leadership training.

Both Roberts and Latner say the residence assistants acted responsibly that night by calling campus security.

The incident has caused embarrassment for some students on campus.

“Nobody wants that kind of press for your school” says Latner.

Roberts says editorials were written to the Athenaeum, the student newspaper, where students expressed their disappointment about what had happened.

Roberts says the episode has raised community consciousness and the role that students play in their own safety and the safety of others.

“Everyone is responsible in some ways to monitor their place of residence.”

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