Alcohol overdose myths dispelled at Red Watch Band class
Alcohol overdose treatment, CPR and myths were all subjects students learned about Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Library.
The Red Watch Band hosted its fourth class training students teaching many different subjects about alcohol related topics.
“In the CPR training we are teaching the students to learn to realize that an alcohol overdose is a medical emergency,” said Lori Wangberg, health educator for CMU Health Services.
Wangberg co-taught the class with Becky Wang, the Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator for Isabella County.
About 11 students attended the class on Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Library.
As part of the training, students split into groups and brainstorm answers to questions — from what to do if someone overdosed on alcohol to common alcohol overdose myths. At the end of the class they role played different situations to demonstrate their new skills.
“The goal is to give the students the confidence to do something if they find someone who requires attention, it’s almost like we’re giving them permission to help,” Wang said. “Every person in our other classes has left feeling super confident that they can help someone who needs it.” Red Watch Band is a group that was formed in 2008 at Stony Brook University following the death of the son of the school president because of alcohol poisoning. CMU is one of the first Universities to pick up the program, Wang said.
Funding for the program comes from the Prevention Network, which creates a grant for the Red Watch Band. The current grant is for five classes, with one remaining from noon to 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Library.
Wangberg said they hope to receive another grant to hold more classes, and at some point build a permanent program at CMU.
Each yeah almost 2,000 college age students die from alcohol related injuries, Wang said. Hopefully with students taught by the Red Watch Band that number will significantly be reduced.
“The CPR part of the class alone is very important, but the whole class should definitely be continued because the knowledge behind it can really help save people and make them use their brains,” Howell senior Amy Sypula said.
