CSUN Fight Against Drug Abuse Gets Help

A $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education will help Cal State Northridge implement more educational programs targeting drug abuse in 1998, university officials said recently.

The federal education department announced in September that CSUN would receive the grant over a two-year period to fund programs to assist troubled students at the university.

Beginning Jan. 8, monthly meetings will be held to address ways to use the funds.

“There are an awful lot of people, including college students, that use and abuse substances, including beer, and there are many problems associated with that such as binge drinking, drunk driving and violence,” said Fred Strache, CSUN vice president for student affairs.

Although the university now has peer counselors to assist troubled students and regularly holds Alcoholics Anonymous meetings on campus, the grant allows for the implementation of new programs while expanding existing ones, said Strache, whose job is to administer the funds.

Strache said one of the goals is to prevent substance abuse before it can begin, specifically at local middle and high schools.

“This is an area that we’re concerned with because students are starting early,” he said. “Many students start drinking in junior high and we need to change the public’s perception--that beer is a drug, and it’s the drug of choice for an awful lot of people.”

The Jan. 8 meeting will take place from 11 a.m. to noon in the conference room of the Student Health Center.

For parking or other information, call the center at (818) 677-3690 or (818) 677-3666.