Even if students choose to indulge on Halloween, they can still make responsible choices, says substance education coordinator Molly Harper. She is leading a team which will work to ensure students stay safe.

“Especially with Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, there is a tendency to overdo it,” Harper says. “Our goal is to have students more aware when they choose to drink.”

She led fourth-year nursing students Antonette Clarke and Traci Hicknell, doing a clinical placement with the Substance Education Team, in assembling “Halloween Survival Kits” which they will distribute across campus on Saturday.

They include salted crackers to help absorb ingested alcohol, bandages to cope with scrapes, moist wipes for spills and candy carrying cautionary messages:

• a mint to freshen boozy breath,
• chewing gum as a reminder to avoid sticky situations, and
• a lollipop to signal not to be a sucker.

The kits also contain a list of phone numbers for taxi and emergency services.

“It never hurts to be prepared,” says Harper.

The project is sponsored by Student Affairs, Student Health Services and Food Services.