-
Source: ONE News -
Watch Video
Student leaders in Dunedin have come up with a plan to tackle the binge drinking culture on campus.
The scheme is based on the way American universities have tackled the problem but no one is expecting a quick fix.
However Students Association events manager Vanessa Reddy believes the culture must change.
"Things like ending up in A&E through alcohol poisoning, having unwanted sexual experiences and also dying - something that happens from drinking too much alcohol," says Reddy.
Reddy is promoting a 40 point plan to address the problem, including upping alcohol prices, identifying harmful drinkers, more alcohol free events, educating parents and reducing outlets.
"There are 50 liquor outlets in a one kilometre radius around the university and research shows there is more alcohol related harm when there's higher liquor outlet density," says Reddy.
Some of the students will form part of a university taskforce being set up to tackle the problem.
They told ONE News the Saturday night focus is drinking as much as they can.
Based on the US experience, results will come over a generation.
"They had a similar drinking culture to Otago and they've really turned it around," says Reddy.
