The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board recently awarded The Lincoln University with a $40,000 grant to further the institution’s efforts to educate students on the dangers of alcohol abuse and discourage underage drinking. 

More than 100 municipalities, community groups, schools, universities and law enforcement agencies applied for a share of the board’s $2.1 million program, of which Lincoln received the maximum allotment.

“The effects of alcohol and drugs on our young people are an unmistakably adverse one,” said Dr. Robert R. Jennings, president of The Lincoln University, who instituted a dry campus and zero-tolerance policy for alcohol and drugs after his arrival in January 2012.  “And the mission of our students is simply too important to be compromised.”

Twenty college and university grants, which will be paid over a two-year-period, will help schools develop strategies to reduce underage and dangerous alcohol use, including enforcement efforts; social norms campaigns to change how students think about alcohol and binge drinking; Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS), which is a program to help those students who drink heavily make less risky alcohol-use decisions; and college alcohol risk assessments of the campus and surrounding areas to identify alcohol-related issues. 

“This year, we increased the maximum grant award to $40,000 and gave organizations an extra year to implement their programs,” said Joseph E. Brion, PLCB chairman.  “Our goal is to give those involved in the prevention of underage and dangerous drinking the time and financial resources needed to make a significant impact on the health and safety of their communities.” 

Since 1999, the PLCB has awarded more than $10 million in grants, sponsoring alcohol education and prevention programs targeted at legal and underage audiences at over 250 schools, colleges, law enforcement departments and community organizations throughout Pennsylvania.

“There is a very negative perception that reckless consumption of alcohol and college students is supposed to go hand in hand,” said Dr. Lenetta Lee, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, who wrote the grant.  “This investment by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board will enable our students to both analyze and challenge these perceptions through innovational and strategic learning initiatives.”