The number of alcohol-related transportations this year has increased from 44 cases at this point last year to 53 this year, according to the Office of Alcohol Policy & Education (OAPE), though director Ralph Castro warned that the slight increase may be deceptive.

 

The University created OAPE this academic year with a goal of combating alcohol-related injury. According to Castro, a main target for the office is to address the trend of “pre-gaming,” when students drink large amounts of alcohol, usually in the form of hard liquor, in a short period of time before attending an event.

 

Castro said in an email to The Daily that 14 of this year’s cases occurred before highly advertised all-campus events — seven each were related to pre-gaming before Full Moon on the Quad and Mausoleum party.

 

Castro said that the increase in alcohol-related hospitalizations may be the result of increased student awareness toward dangerous situations.

 

“[The numbers] may actually be reflective of pro-social, anti-bystanding behaviors,” he said, referring to the goals of OAPE’s current programming. “[Increased attention] could be positively contributing to students being more willing to call for help, thus increasing the numbers.”

 

Say Something at Stanford, the OAPE’s major promotion this year, tries to engage bystanders to intervene when they see fellow students at dangerous levels of intoxication.

 

OAPE is also working on an official sober monitor program for Stanford events and parties, according to Castro.

 

Others around campus have noticed changes from the presence of the OAPE.

 

Stuart Bennett, a resident fellow in Serra, said, “Educating students to take some responsibility for their friends who are drinking irresponsibly rather than be bystanders can be effective.”

 

Tessa Smith ‘13, a residential peer health educator, said she views OAPE as a resource that allows students who choose to drink to do so safely, in addition to becoming educated on other issues in the “big picture of the alcohol scene.”

 

Smith described the OAPE as a valuable new resource on campus for health and wellness, “even if it takes some time to get rolling within the student body.”

 

The OAPE’s initiative to promote alternatives to alcohol-centric social events has taken shape with Cardinal Nights, which, as stated on the OAPE’s website, seeks to “provide consistent, viable, and novel opportunities for socializing without alcohol on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.”

 

Castro noted success with the Cardinal Nights program and said, “there have been nearly 7,000 student contacts at Cardinal Nights events since October.”

 

Rocio Novo ‘15 appreciated the opportunity presented by Cardinal Nights to attend Cirque du Soleil in December.

 

“I really enjoyed it, and I would recommend events like that for anyone,” Novo said.

 

This past fall quarter, Ujamaa dorm staff planned an alcohol-free event in coordination with the OAPE to bring together West Campus residents during the weekend of Big Game. Tubbs said the OAPE provided event funding and helped her and the Ujamaa staff develop event ideas.

 

“We really wanted something that would have alternate activities for people to do,” said Tajah Tubbs ‘12, resident assistant in Ujamaa. “We didn’t want it to be like a typical party.”

 

Even this event wasn’t entirely immune to pre-gaming. Though he did not enter the event, one student was transported after arriving heavily intoxicated.

 

One of the biggest challenges that the OAPE faces is student misconception about alcohol use on campus. With hospitalizations rising, students may take this as an indication of a strong alcohol presence on campus.

 

“People think that a lot more people drink on campus than actually do,” Smith said.

 

The OAPE recently distributed its Core Survey on Alcohol and Drug Use to collect more exact statistics on student alcohol and drug habits. Results from the survey, which concluded in late February, have not yet been released.

 

The survey sought to quantify and challenge assumptions about the drinking culture at Stanford. The OAPE’s goal is to keep drinking safe and social, not to eliminate it from campus culture, according to Castro.

 

“The alcohol policy was clarified last year, and emphasis was placed on discouraging high-risk drinking practices,” Castro said.

 

Other dorm staff members are also taking steps to cultivate safe drinking environments.

 

“You have to look out for one another, and that message needs to begin in the dorm,” Bennett said.

 

“One of the things I liked during RA training is that they stressed to us being open about drinking and our experiences,” said Annika Graangard, resident assistant in Serra. Graangard said she believes that this openness contributes to increased awareness about alcohol and the issues associated with it.

 

The OAPE also seeks to promote an appropriate attitude toward drinking for students turning 21. Castro said that the office sends out 21st birthday cards with safety messages to all students the day before their birthdays.

 

Additionally, the OAPE “launched a social media campaign that pushes out pro-social alcohol messages via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube,” Castro said.

 

As a new entity on campus, the OAPE is “not engrained in the Stanford culture yet, but it will be,” Smith said.