Welcome from Marsha Brinkley Project Director of GT SMART
GT SMART, a campus-community coalition, was established in 1999 to address high-risk drinking and its harmful effects on Georgia Tech’s campus and in the community. GT SMART is part of the “A Matter of Degree” (AMOD) project, a national effort managed by the American Medical Association and funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Early accomplishments on campus include a parental notification policy that has empowered the Dean of Students to contact parents when an underage student violates the Georgia Tech student policy on alcohol and other drugs. With student support, we revised the Campus Alcohol Policy to prevent alcohol industry advertisements on campus and established strict guidelines for events that include alcohol on campus.
Our programming remains data driven. Since 2005, each incoming freshmen student has been asked to complete the Alcohol EDU survey prior to arriving on campus and again 90 days after arrival. The data collected shows attitudes towards alcohol consumption developed in high school and any changes after being on campus. This information assists us in developing programming that meets the needs of each new freshmen class.
On campus, GT SMART developed a Task Force and following an assessment of all campus alcohol programming has begun working on a strategic plan to insure a comprehensive program including both alcohol prevention education, support for students abusing alcohol and Honor Code enforcement.
GT SMART offers an on-line, interactive program for parents providing current campus alcohol data to help them better understand today's campus culture and to assist them in dialoging with their sons and daughters to better prepare them for the risks in today's society, often which seem to harmlessly begin with alcohol.
We have also directed our efforts toward working with the civic and business communities in Atlanta. In March 2004 a survey on the Perception of High-Risk Drinking on the Quality of Life in the City of Atlanta was conducted. In response to the issues raised in the 2004 survey, specific interventions were developed and implemented in communities throughout Atlanta . When the survey was repeated in 2006, we saw significant improvements in respondent's perceptions, indicating the success of the interventions used.
In September 2004, we began offering the Responsible Alcohol Sales and Server (RASS) training program, a free online training course for alcohol licensees and their employees. It has been so successful many persons originally enrolled are now participating in the re-certification module, required every two years. To date, we have had 5,319 participants enrolled in the RASS training program representing 380 businesses in 24 counties in Georgia.
A User Survey for the Responsible Alcohol Sales and Server (RASS) Training program enrollees has been conducted annually and data confirms that this program is recognized as being highly successful.
The Anonymous Tip Line, a program in partnership with the Atlanta Police Department, has also proven successful. Information collected on this Tip Line has contributed to hundreds of citations being issued by the Atlanta Police to alcohol licensees not in compliance with city ordinances. This tool prompted many businesses owners to change their policies and procedures.
By focusing our efforts on creating strategies to change the environment that passively permits or actively encourages high-risk drinking, we have provided tools both on and off campus that are working. Your interest in GT SMART and your support of our initiatives is vital to our success. I look forward to working with you and thank you for your interest in GT SMART.
Cordially,
Marsha Brinkley
GT SMART Project Director
