Wellness and Health Promotion Services introduces new alcohol and other drug programs to encourage students to Do the Knight Thing and use a designated driver Posted Friday, August 14, 2020 @ 10:56 AM As UCF students continue to return to campus, meeting new people may look a little different due to the COVID19 pandemic, but it is still an essential part of the college experience. New friendships and peer groups can often expose students to common barriers to success, like drugs and alcohol. To help reduce the risk of substance abuse on and off campus, UCF Wellness and Health Promotion Services (WHPS) and campus community partners have created a series of innovative programs and partnerships aimed at preventing and reducing the risk of substance abuse, especially alcohol. This fall, WHPS is partnering with UCF Fraternity and Sorority Life as well as with local bars (near UCF’s main campus, as well as bars in downtown Orlando), to distribute “Do the Knight Thing” coasters which encourage students to use a designated driver and utilize other risk reduction strategies. Coasters, like this one, will be distributed to bars willing to partner with WHPS within a five mile radius of UCF and also in downtown Orlando. The campaign also focuses on avoiding drinking games, tracking how many drinks they have had, techniques on the pace in which they drink, and spacing out drinks over time. WHPS and AOD campus partnerships also include: Distributing educational solo cups with risk reduction information Risk reduction training with Fraternity and Sorority Life Partnering with Housing and Residence Life for co-curricular programming on substance abuse WHPS Director Maureen Hawkins says the goal is for students to learn the skills on campus and apply what they learn anywhere. “We provide skills to students on campus and then we want them to use them in a social setting. It provides a succinct message across establishments that students frequent and gives students an opportunity to apply that skill.” Another innovative partnership that AOD and WHPS launched earlier this summer is with ScreenU. This brief and anonymous online screening and intervention resource customizes feedback for students as they assess their own use of alcohol and other drugs. It also educates them on the negative consequences commonly associated with substance abuse. For more information please email wellness@ucf.edu or Maureen at Maureen.Hawkins@ucf.edu. You can also follow @HealthyKnight on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for up-to-date information about all programs at WHPS. Back