This year, for the first time in UCC, students had the opportunity to avail of alcohol-free accommodation as part of a pilot programme by the UCC Health Matters initiative and UCC Campus Accommodation.
These specific apartments are located at Victoria Lodge, which is owned and managed by UCC Campus Accommodation. Students were asked to provide a written personal statement as to why the option interested them alongside their usual housing application, which was then screened. The contract to adhere to the alcohol regulations is included in the current contract that students now sign and the consequences of violations are in line with the current disciplinary process.
The reasons for providing students the option to live in this type of housing are varied;
•Concerning levels of alcohol consumption were recorded among UCC students in a 2010 study by E. Cahill and M. Byrne, for example. This study showed that 45.5% (n=20) of males and 44.5% (n=61) of females reported binge drinking more than once a week and that all students who reported drinking alcohol reported at least one adverse consequence. The most common adverse consequences reported were; regretting something said or done, feeling adverse effects whilst at college, missing days from college, or harm to college studies or work.
•Beyond encouraging the responsible use of alcohol, it is also vital to recognise that the student population boasts huge diversity. The reasons why students may choose this option are varied and yet often quite simple -some may choose this specific type of housing due to religious or cultural beliefs, because they want to
focus on their studies, due to personal reasons, and many students may simply just prefer the quieter surroundings that an alcohol-free area may bring.
Deirdre Griffin, Health Promotion Project Worker at UCC comments: “I am excited to welcome this development and feel that many students will really value having this option. UCC Health Matters is about enabling the students and staff of UCC to take control over and improve their wellbeing. It is about creating the environments that will help people to live happy and healthy lives and achieve their full potential. This initiative supports that ethos and I feel it will be welcomed by many students”.
For further information about this pilot contact UCC Campus Accommodation via email: [email protected], (0)21 4941200 or (0)21 4818452
UCC
Hosts Irelands First Alcohol Free Free
Student Accommodation
UCC Health Matters and UCC Campus Accommodation work together to develop Alcohol Free Housing as part of pilot scheme
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HealthMatters/September, 2013