Students on the off-campus email list-serve received an announcement over the weekend informing them about a newly established Alcoholics Anonymous program offered through the Division of Student Affairs at Penn State University.

The first meeting was held Friday night in the Pasquerilla Center, and will continue every Friday night from 5:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. The program was established on campus to benefit not only students but also faculty, staff, and members of the surrounding community.

Consequences for student violations of the University alcohol policies are getting tougher as the drinking culture becomes more of a focal point each year.

The Division of Student Affairs hopes to provide a safe haven for those willing to address their personal issues with alcohol abuse. Alcoholics Anonymous offers an alternative route for solving the severity of the drinking problem here at Penn State not through punishment, but rather through the process of healing.

In addition to Alcoholics Anonymous, Penn State University students that have issues with alcohol could also utilize the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students program – otherwise known as BASICS. While this program is new to Penn State this year, it has already seen success at other schools across the country according to the article “Plans to See Push” from Saturday’s Daily Collegian.