Following a 16-month pilot of the Alcohol Screening and Prevention Initiative’s (ASAP) Helpline, the program will end on Dec. 22. The phone will no longer be monitored full-time by on-call consultants, and instead will feature a voicemail instructing any callers to contact the Boston College Police Department for emergencies.
“Student focus groups indicated that such a service would be beneficial to the BC community, thus [leading to the] implementation of the program in Fall 2016,” Jemima Pierre, the ASAP Program Manager, said in an email. “Unfortunately due to a low call volume, it was decided to discontinue the service.”
The ASAP initiative was a joint effort by multiple departments within the Division of Student Affairs to address alcohol prevention and education on campus. Run by hired graduate consultants, the service assisted BC students who had questions, comments, or concerns regarding alcohol use on campus. Questions surrounded a variety of topics, including one’s personal alcohol use, concerns about a friend’s drinking habits, and state laws and regulations about alcohol, according to the ASAP website.
If one still has questions about alcohol support on campus, BC offers a variety of resources. Pierre encourages anyone in an emergency to call BCPD. But for those looking for drop-in spaces or interested in obtaining more information around alcohol use, students can visit the Office of Health Promotion, the Office of Residential Life, University Counseling Services, University Health Services, and the Office of the Dean of Students.
“Students should also know that residence hall live-in staff have all been trained to have these types of conversations and provide referrals to these offices,” Pierre said.
Featured Image Courtesy of the Alcohol Screening and Prevention Initiative
