Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Earns Industry Best Practices Award for Resident Assistant Alcohol Education Training Program
HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) today announced that a resident assistant college training program first developed in 2014 by its Bureau of Alcohol Education has earned the first-ever award for Best Responsible Consumption Program from StateWays magazine.
"We're honored to be recognized among our peers in the beverage alcohol industry for our commitment to reducing and preventing dangerous and underage use of alcohol," said PLCB Chairman Tim Holden. "Freshman at most colleges and universities live in on-campus dorms, and our Alcohol Education specialists realize the importance of reaching these students as they begin to encounter the unique challenges presented in college environments. Our Resident Assistant Training Program arms RAs on the front lines of the college transition with information on how to reduce dangerous drinking so they can help guide their dorm-mates to make safer decisions."
The RA training program is delivered on college campuses by Alcohol Education specialists who tailor each session to the college and community in which the training is conducted. Each one-hour session addresses issues including adolescent brain development and its role in decision-making and impulse control; criminal, academic, social, health and safety consequences of underage and high-risk drinking; the alcohol content of different drinks and how many drinks it takes, on average, to reach different blood alcohol content levels; signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning; and Pennsylvania's medical amnesty law and the legal protections it offers anyone under 21 who was drinking but contacts authorities to seek medical attention for someone in danger of suffering alcohol poisoning.
"What began as a six-school pilot program in 2014 has grown over time, and now more than 600 RAs across the commonwealth have participated in the training as more colleges and universities have embraced the program," said Board Member Mike Negra. "Because of the program's success, our Alcohol Education specialists are now exploring ways to reach more universities in the future, hopefully through a train-the-trainer model in 2016.
Alyssa Iannamorelli Eddy, Professional Counselor/Coordinator of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Services at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, is a champion of the training program. "It's very helpful for the students, as the training helps prepare them for how to deal with situations that they definitely will experience on campus. They learn everything they need to know in order to prepare them for this job and help them lead their peers."
Pennsylvania colleges and universities interested in learning more about the Resident Assistant Training Program or scheduling a training session are encouraged to contact the Bureau of Alcohol Education at 1.800.453.PLCB or [email protected].
StateWays, the only national magazine devoted to the issues and subjects affecting control state systems, established its Control State Best Practices Awards in 2015 to recognize control state agencies that are leading the industry in innovation, education and enforcement. Winners, including the PLCB's Resident Assistant Training Program, are featured in the November/December issue of StateWays.
The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates more than 600 wine and spirits stores statewide and licenses more than 20,000 beverage alcohol producers and retailers. The PLCB also works to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups and licensees. Taxes and store profits – totaling more than $14.5 billion since the agency's inception – are returned to Pennsylvania's General Fund, and the PLCB also provides financial support for the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, other state agencies and local municipalities across the state. For more information about the PLCB, visit www.lcb.state.pa.us.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
PLCB - Elizabeth Brassell, 717.783.8864
StateWays – Jeremy Nedelka, 203.855.8499 extension 2213
SOURCE Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board
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