Alcohol Test Required

Prior to this fall, N.C. State University has been administering a three-hour alcohol awareness exam on a volunteer basis. This year's incoming freshmen under 21 are now required to complete the exam prior to starting class. The test, which students will take online at their leisure, combines a survey on drinking habits, tests on alcohol knowledge and lectures on the effects and dangers of drinking and the social problems it can create such as sexual assault, poor academic performance and health problems.

The main reason this is being required is the fact that the state of North Carolina's Alcoholic Beverage Commission offered to cover the test's $80,000 cost on that very condition. Chris Austin, N.C. State's assistant director of health promotion/substance abuse prevention commented that "It's just the realization that on every college campus, the major issue is alcohol". This program is designed to help stem some the alcohol related incidents that is found on all college campuses.

This kind of education should be mandatory at all secondary schools in the country. If the SAT's are a requirement to be accepted into college, why wouldn't alcohol awareness be? Hey if the NFL can require "awareness" classes for rookies [and future "roll models"], why shouldn't colleges and university's? Hopefully it won't take a state grant for other educational facilities to get on board and teach their students a vital lesson before the experience instead of after the fact, which can be very sobering.