New Luther College program aimed at preventing alcohol overdose deaths

Starting next fall, Luther College will have a program in place to provide students with the knowledge, awareness, and skills to prevent toxic drinking deaths, and to promote a student culture of kindness, responsibility, compassion and respect.

The "Red Watch Band Program" is a bystander intervention program that was developed by Stony Brook University, where one of the professors had a son who died of alcohol poisoning while at college.  The program is aimed at training students to recognize alcohol poisoning and overdose, provide CPR training, and help empower students to take care of each other.

Rachel Miessler is an intern in the Luther Student Life Office working to develop the Red Watch Band program on campus.  She tells decorahnews.com that 25 Luther students will go through "Red Watch Band" training next fall, with another 25 students getting the training next spring.  The theory is that these students will live their normal lives on campus, but will use their training if they're in a situation where another students may be at risk of alcohol poisoning.

The program has an advisor--Greg Lonning from Student Life--and an advisory board which will include two student athletes (one male and one female), two music students (one male and one female), one Inter-Greek Council representative, and three students at large.

Toxic drinking is an epidemic on campuses all across America.  The Red Watch Band movement is designed to end alcohol overdose deaths by teaching students how to handle alcohol emergencies and summon professional help.  Miessler says the program will help Luther students "take care of each other and watch out for one another."

Decorah community members might notice the red watch bands on the arms of students as the students leave campus and come downtown.