Departments News & Features Sports Research Briefs In the News Health Matters BU Yesterday Contact Us Advertising Rates

Week of 19 March 1999 Vol. II, No. 27 Feature Article A decade of preventing substance abuse Wellness Center marks 10th By Hope Green In the 1980s, while first lady Nancy Reagan was leading a national "Just Say No" antidrug campaign, Boston University formed a 50-member task force to promote alcohol-free events on and off campus. "We were not in crisis, but we did have our share of alcohol abuse," says Herb Ross, associate vice president and associate dean of students. "We felt that 'Just Say No' was oversimplifying the problem, and we wanted to take a more preventive approach by using a wellness model. Our philosophy was that if you are healthy physically and emotionally, you won't find yourself in situations where you do harm to your body." A product of that philosophy was BU's Wellness Center, which the task force established in 1989 with a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Norman Johnson, vice president and dean of students, and Ross came up with the idea for the center after attending a DOE convention in Boston that year. "Although we are well past the grant," says Ross, who was BU's principal investigator for the award, "the Wellness Center is still here." Headquartered in a basement office of the George Sherman Union, not far from the games room, the center has expanded beyond its original mission of preventing alcohol and drug abuse through education. It now addresses topics such as dating violence, AIDS, eating disorders, and stress management in a variety of seminars and publications. It also hosts events such as a health fair, cosponsored by the American Medical Students Association, and a Fun Run, a footrace organized jointly each fall with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. "Attendance rates for these activities have increased each year," says Abbie Shore, Wellness Center senior staff assistant, "and I think that's a good indicator of progress." Particularly effective in catching students' attention, Shore says, is an interactive theatre troupe known as the Peer Education Network (PEN) Players. Undergraduate students perform skits on cross-cultural tolerance, how to help an alcoholic friend, and how to cope with unwanted sexual advances, among other concerns. Preventing substance abuse remains an important component of the center's work. Some of its seminars offer tips on hosting a responsible party and how to identify an alcohol or drug problem. Other sessions focus on grief, depression, and preventing sexual assault. Fitness workshops last year included a class in kickboxing. "What we try to do in the workshops and seminars is not just tell people what to do," Shore says, "but actually give them techniques to practice healthy behaviors." Wellness Center staffers also publish newsletters and fact sheets, and advise the Wellness House, a residence hall located at 7 Buswell Street where students agree to keep the premises free of cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. Abbie Shore (right), senior staff assistant at the Wellness Center, advises Brad Bley (SAR'01) and Deb Johnson (COM'00) in the design of a poster to be used in a presentation. Photo by Kalman Zabarsky The center's work is part of an ongoing effort by the University to address drug and alcohol issues using a preventive, rather than merely punitive, approach. Last fall, Johnson attended the U.S. Department of Education's 12th Annual National Meeting on Alcohol, Other Drug, and Violence Prevention in Higher Education. In the keynote address, U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher noted that more than half of students drink to get drunk, and 40 percent are binge drinkers. He also pointed out that alcohol abusers are more likely to be victims of rape and other violent crimes than casual drinkers. Johnson met with Satcher after his presentation to talk about the four approaches Satcher advises colleges to follow: good nutrition, alcohol and other drug abuse education, avoiding toxins, and physical activity. The conference forums and lectures showed that programs at Boston University are "light years ahead" of what is recommended for addressing the issue of alcohol and other drug abuse, Johnson says. He points out that BU's Wellness Center, orientation, residence hall association floor meetings, and faculty-in-residence all address this issue. The Wellness Center also sends a representative to monthly meetings of the Intra-Fraternity and Sorority Council (IFSC) to give workshops on a range of health issues, including binge drinking. Every student is given a copy of the University's Lifebook, which describes BU's alcohol policy. In addition, Joseph Walsh, director of community relations at the University, rides along in a Boston Police patrol car on weekends to keep tabs on students in surrounding neighborhoods. At the moment, the Wellness Center is awaiting the arrival of its next director, Carolyn Norris, a mental health counselor with a private practice in Claremont, N.H. Norris is scheduled to arrive in April, and Ross expects that the dean's office will fill a vacant project coordinator's position later this year. Part-time graduate and undergraduate students, many of whom plan to pursue health-related careers, compose the rest of the staff. Besides coordinating presentations and group activities, the Wellness Center fields questions from individuals. "If we see that someone is suffering," Shore says, "we refer that person to the appropriate source of help." For more information about Wellness Center programs, call 617-353-3698. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.