Academy teaches lesson with birthday drinks

[unhappycamper]

Academy teaches lesson with birthday drinks
By Brian Witte - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Dec 10, 2007 16:54:13 EST

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Naval Academy is taking a new approach to educate students about the effects of alcohol: a 21st birthday dinner with enough booze to put a midshipman over the legal limit.

Capt. Margaret Klein, commandant of midshipmen, told the academy’s Board of Visitors on Monday that the new program appears to be having its desired effect: Midshipmen learn it doesn’t take many drinks before they reach a 0.08 blood-alcohol content, the legal standard for drunken driving in Maryland.

“The resounding feedback I’ve had is that most midshipmen had no idea how few drinks it takes to get them to that .08 limit,” Klein said.

Klein told the board that the idea originated over the past summer, when academy leadership discussed ways to emphasize the importance of responsible drinking. While thinking of ways to address problems with binge drinking, Klein said she recalled having to deal with a midshipman about a year ago who drank too much celebrating his 21st birthday.

Under the new academy program, Klein sends out letters to midshipmen in the month of their 21st birthdays. “In addition to asking them to consider their new responsibility, we also invite them to a dinner,” Klein said.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/12/ap_academyalcohol_071210/

[MADem]

1. Your TAX DOLLARS at work!!!! nt

[RC]

2. Maybe now they can do a birthday bash doing weed and compare the two..