New Counseling Group Formed

Concerned about the lack of information available to students about alcohol and drug related problems, University Health Service (UHS) officials and undergraduates yesterday held an organizational meeting for a new peer education and outreach group.

Project Alcohol and Drug Dialogue (Project ADD), which is headed by two representatives from the UHS Health and Education Office and four undergraduates, will provide the Harvard community with information about a wide variety of drug and alcohol issues, organizers said.

The group is not primarily targeted at those with serious drinking and drug problems but will offer information and peer counseling for people with any type of question or concern about substance use, according to one project organizer Dan Banks '88.

Project ADD plans several outreach efforts, including presentations involving skits and discussions at freshman proctorial meetings and a hotline to answer questions about alcohol and drugs.

Organizers said they also hope to found peer discussion groups for both drinkers and friends and family members of those with suspected drinking problems.

Group members said they hope to provide information both on the effects of different drugs as well as tips and advice about situations which typically arise in a university setting.

"People need to know how to deal with situations where others are drunk--not everyone knows that coffee and cold showers aren't helpful in these situations," Banks said.

Later this month, Project ADD will begin training interested students to provide information and counseling about alcohol and drug-related issues in preparation for projects being initiated this year.

Assistant Dean of the College Ellen Porter Honnet first conceived of the project when four students expressed an interest in this type of alcohol and drug information service.

Said co-founder Liz M. Lacovara '89, "I was surprised that there was no peer group addressing the alcohol and drug issues which we deal with all the time."

The students were put in touch with Kathy Kneipman, coordinator of the UHS Health Education Office, who, along with colleague Maura Valle, will aid in the organization and training programs for the group's projects.

Project ADD is not a group directed toward limiting alcohol and drug use, organizers said. "I'm most definitely not here to stop drinking--it's not possible and it's not neccesary and I wouldn't want it," said group co-coordinator Gian d'Ornellas.

"We are a peer education group, not an alcohol SWAT team," Lacovara said.

In addition the group will offer information about alcohol and drug counseling resources existing in the Harvard community. "It's shocking how hard it is to find alcohol resources of any form," said project co-director Sarah L. Marx '89.

The group's efforts, however, remain very much in the planning stages. Said d'Ornellas, "Our goals are really general right now and we're very much open to other people's ideas." Said Valle, "I'm just hoping that there will be a real response and interest in discussing the issues."