Princeton Undergraduate Student Government

The main objectives of the USG's Alcohol Policy Working Group are to create a safe drinking environment on campus and promote responsible drinking behaviors in students, thereby decreasing high-risk drinking and the negative outcomes that can be and often are associated with it.  Our focus for much of the last semester has been on expanding the range of methods we use to address these issues by examining them on a community- and state-wide level on top of our on-campus initiatives.  We have begun to implement this strategy in two ways.

Firstly, we are now attending monthly meetings of the Princeton Alcohol and Drug Alliance, a local group whose stated purpose is "to advance awareness of substance abuse issues by sponsoring prevention programs and educational outreach activities in the local community."  Our presence at these meetings allows us to better understand how alcohol-related issues on campus affect the wider community, as well as monitor the progress of community-wide initiatives that could affect student life, and where possible integrate our efforts with those of the community in order to achieve our main objectives of creating a safe drinking environment and promoting responsible drinking behaviours.

Secondly, we are monitoring the progress of several bills that are passing through the New Jersey state legislature that could potentially affect (in positive and negative ways) the drinking culture on campus and students' safety.  Of primary concern at the moment is a Good Samaritan policy that would grant some form of amnesty to under-age students who seek emergency medical attention to an intoxicated friend.  Obviously, the general impact of such a bill is positive in that it will foster a safer drinking environment, however the details of and potential amendments to this bill will increase or decrease its effectiveness, so we are investigating the ways in which we can influence the content of this and other alcohol-related bills.  As things develop, we continue to evaluate the options available to us and select the course that best serves the students' interest.

Please contact Harry Schiff if you have any questions or comments.