‘No drinking and driving’: MSU hosts event to warn, inform students
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – One drink too many can have life-changing results. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 37 people a day die from drunk driving crashes.
That’s why Mississippi State University’s Police Department wants to give students a heads-up about drinking and driving.
“This is just a great awareness event about drugs and alcohol and vaping as well. So, it is just an opportunity to meet with our students and they know some of the dangers of alcohol, but we have some goggles that they can wear. The goggles allow them to get some real-world experience without actually drinking and driving,” said Brian Locke, MSU Assistant Chief.
University Police Assistant Chief Brian Locke knows alcohol consumption is likely to go up this time of year.
“As the spring comes about, people want to start getting out. We have baseball season going on and we know as the weather gets nicer, people want to be out and about. Cookouts will be going on and the more preventable measures we have, the better it will be for our students,” said Locke.
Mississippi State’s Health Promotion Awareness Coordinator Tammie Nichols said this was a great way to give students a closer look at what it’s like to be under the influence.
“There are some students who are actually riding the bike and they get the reality check of what it appears to be of what it is like when you are actually drunk. There are some students who have never drunk before, so they get this little reality check. This is actually just an illusion because actually being drunk is way worse than this. When you are drunk, you lose your balance, and your heart rate, sometimes you throw up, your head is spinning, and you could even pass out. We want the students to know if you think before you actually take that drink, you don’t have to deal with the things that come afterward,” said Nichols.
Locke said he has seen firsthand what can happen to people if they decide to drive while under the influence of alcohol.
“Accidents are some of the worst and unfortunately, we deal with folks in accidents and fatalities because of drinking and driving. You hate to see any young person start off their life and have to pay all these fines and fees in court, it is just not worth it,” said Locke.
Mississippi State hosts this event every semester to get the word out to all students about the dangers of drinking and driving.
