Initiative Combats Hook-up Culture

Amid the hubbub of yesterday's Healthapalooza, UGBC and the Office of Health Promotion (OHP) kicked off a new "Kiss Me I'm Sober" initiative.

The campaign is intended to spur conversation about Boston College's drinking and "hook-up" culture, and represents another effort by the coalition of UGBC and OHP at addressing the issues of alcohol consumption on campus launched this fall.

"We created this campaign in response to the administration's concern with a campus- wide drinking problem," said John Muller, co-director of Health and Safety for UGBC and A&S '14.

The initiative features many hallmarks of campus anti-substance abuse campaigns, including an emphasis on increasing student awareness about alcohol and drug use. The effort differentiates itself, though, with a unique focus on the impact alcohol and drugs have on relationships, especially hook ups stemming from insobriety.

"While for some drinking means fun and a good time, it can, in an instant, turn into a tragedy, not just physically, but also mentally," said KriziaVinck, co-director of Health and Safety for UGBC and A&S '12. "One out of four people have been raped and in 90 percent of the cases the victim or the assailant had used alcohol or drugs," she added, referring a study by the Harvard School of Public Health.

Vinck stressed the conversational nature of the effort, which she hoped would be driven by a desire to discuss the issues of alcohol, drugs, and relationships among the student body.

"We want to get students talking about whether they think there is an alcohol and drug problem on campus, and how they feel that this problem, or lack of a problem, should be dealt with," she said.

Vinck and Muller were inspired to start the conversation partly due to a 2008 Core Alcohol and Drug survey taken at BC, which concluded that a majority of respondents were not attracted to someone who is drunk.

"We want to get people talking about sober relationships instead of drunk hook ups," Vinck said. "We want to know what students are thinking about these problems that are associated with alcohol and drugs and … get students to realize that staying sober is the healthier and safer option."

In addition to the input of the UGBC and OHP coalition, the Women's Resource Center inspired a significant portion of the effort.

"We met with the Women's Resource Center to discuss the relationship and sexual consent aspect of the campaign," said Muller.

This facet makes the campaign unique relative to other alcohol and drug awareness efforts, Muller claims.

"We hope to promote … strong ‘real' relationships, whether it be friendships or more serious romantic relationships," Muller said.

According to Vinck and Muller, the campaign will be a prominent presence during the upcoming "Re-Think Drink Week" at the end of October, another UGBC effort aimed at fostering conversation on substance abuse and leading to healthier choices on campus. ♦