UAH Charger Choices Alcohol Prevention Program features guest speaker Jason Kilmer

Nationally recognized substance abuse prevention speaker Jason Kilmer will be the guest speaker for The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Charger Choice Alcohol Prevention Program on Tuesday, March 10.

Kilmer's talk entitled "From Beer Goggles to the Munchies: The Science Behind Alcohol and Marijuana," will be presented at 7:30 p.m., in the UAH Charger Union Theater. Kilmer's visit is sponsored by the UAH Charger Choices. The event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Jason Kilmer is assistant professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington (UW). At UW he works in both a student affairs and a research capacity. He serves as an investigator on several studies evaluating prevention and intervention efforts for alcohol and other drug use by college students.

Additionally, he is the assistant director of Health and Wellness for Alcohol and Other Drug Education in the Division of Student Life, working with different areas across campus (including health, counseling, Greek life, residence life, and athletics) to increase student access to evidence-based approaches.

Kilmer also serves as the chairperson of UW's College Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention. He was project faculty for both Dartmouth’s National College Health Improvement Program, and the National College Depression Partnership. He was the 2014 recipient of the National Prevention Network’s Award of Excellence for outstanding contributions to the field of prevention. He has been doing research on prevention of high-risk drinking and has worked in the delivery of evidence-based approaches to students for over 20 years.

Kilmer received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Washington.

The UAH Charger Choices partners with other campus groups to create comprehensive, student-driven educational projects that help students make better “CHOICES” — choices that are legal, healthy, appropriate, and safe. The UAH Athletic Department, in partnership with the Division of Student Affairs, University Housing, and Campus Police, are committed to campus-wide efforts to reduce alcohol misuse.

Below are some of the most recent statistics on the consequences of college drinking provided by The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism:

• Death — Each year an estimated 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes.
• Injury — Each year an estimated 599,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are unintentionally injured under the influence of alcohol.
• Assault — Each year an estimated 696,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.
• Academic Problems — About one-quarter of college students report having academic consequences because of their drinking, including missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers, and receiving lower grades overall.
• Alcohol Abuse and Dependence — Approximately 19 percent of college students between the ages of 18 and 24 met the criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence, but only five percent of these students sought treatment for alcohol problems in the year preceding the survey.
• Drunk Driving — Each year an estimated 3,360,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 drive under the influence of alcohol.
• Other Consequences — These include suicide attempts, health problems, vandalism, property damage, and involvement with the police.