High-risk drinking among university students a problem to be discussed

HALIFAX – University leaders gathered today at the World Trade and Convention Centre to address and discuss the increasingly dangerous problem of binge drinking among university students across Canada.

President of Acadia University, Ray Ivany, said despite the overwhelming alcohol-related injury and death statistics associated with alcohol and students, there is tremendous opportunity to move forward.

“No matter what our own individual experience, no matter what you’ve experienced as professionals — we have a fundamental obligation here to help the society that we serve, to find a way through this issue in a healthier, more productive, more constructive way than we currently do, ” he said.

Ivany says they will be soliciting universities and colleges all across Canada to get them to join in a learning collaborative to decrease the grim stats associated with alcohol consumption among students.

“Universities can either be a mirror to reflect the society that they’re part of, or they can be a beacon for something better, and on this issue, I think that challenge remains in front of us.”

In September of 2011, a 19-year-old student at Acadia University died from excessive drinking during frosh week.

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