IMPACT Class

Washington State University’s Alcohol and Drug Counseling, Assessment, and Prevention Services (ADCAPS) changed their alcohol and drug education class this year in hopes of better educating students on safe drinking habits.

Many students at WSU are cited with alcohol violations each year, especially those who are underage. Student Conduct notifies ADCAPS when students break the law and those students are required to take the IMPACT class. Graduate students and counselors run IMPACT and teach students safe ways to consume alcohol without causing injury to themselves or others.

When a student receives a violation they take an online survey about their alcohol consumption patterns. The survey helps ADCAPS determine if they will be enrolled in IMPACT or if they need to meet with a counselor one-on-one. According to ADCAPS, of the 500 to 600 students who receive a violation, about half meet with a private counselor.

As opposed to previous years where the classes were only available once a week, students now have three days each week to attend the class. Ginny Hauser, program assistant of ADCAPS, is confident that the improved program will decrease alcohol related problems in Pullman.

Hauser said that this year, before students take the online survey, they participate in a “pouring demo.” The demo is an IMPACT Orientation that shows students exactly how much one drink is. It teaches students the difference between types of drinks (beer, wine, hard alcohol, wine coolers, etc.) and the sizes of containers in which they are consumed.

According to Hauser, students then take the online survey and use their new knowledge to better answer the questions. Students are then asked to schedule an appointment with a counselor or sign up for the IMPACT class. With completion of the survey, students immediately receive personalized feedback about their alcohol use.

According to many students, in previous years the class has not been entirely effective. Twenty-year-old Heather Bromberg, a WSU junior, received a strike her freshman year and spoke with a counselor. Bromberg said that speaking with the counselor “scared me into not wanting to drink.” However, she received a second strike one year later. Bromberg wishes that she had been taught safer ways to drink as it is inevitable that many college students will consume alcohol. Bromberg said it is better to teach safety then abstinence.

This year ADCAPS wants to teach students how to “party safe, party smart,” Hauser said. The counseling service wants to educate students about how to be “safe and healthy, the goal is not to get minors into trouble.”

Counselors urge students who may have an alcohol or drug problem to contact Washington State University Counseling and Testing Services at 509-335-4511.