By Ying Yee Wong
The University of Illinois participated in National Screening Day and rebranded it as screening day on campus on Monday, February 27th, 2023.
The Counseling Center's Alcohol and Other Drug Program organized this event at Illini Union. The event offered free and quick alcohol and marijuana screening tests to students,
who were welcome to fill out the form Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) or Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test-Revised (CUDIT). After finishing the test, students conversed with a screener about their test results and suggested suitable treatment options.
According to the CDC, Alcohol screening and brief counseling effectively reduce excessive drinking, which can help those who drink too much lower their overall consumption by 25%.
"It started from National Alcohol Screening Day, which is held by lots of different college campuses and county municipalities," said Kristin Manzi, Counseling Center clinical specialist in education and the Co-Chair of Alcohol and Other Drug Outreach at the University of Illinois. She said the school adapted National Alcohol Screening Day over the years to be called Screening Day since it is for alcohol and cannabis screening.
The school holds this event annually to raise students' awareness about the negative impacts of drinking and drug behavior. It is also an opportunity to connect with individuals to discuss treatment choices if they are at risk of alcohol and drug use.
McKinley's Stress Management Peers and General Counseling Center also participated in this event. Ms. Manzi said their services also related to drinks and drug use, "while we're talking to people about harm reduction tools, ways that they can drink or smoke more safely, there's also the prevention and of reducing their stress."
If you have any problem with alcohol and drug use, the University of Illinois Counseling Center welcomes you to attend their Creating Alternative Alcohol Plans (CAAP) class and Marijuana Information Class (MIC). Please mention which session you want to participate in by calling the Counseling Center's Alcohol and Other Drug Program Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm at 217-333-3704 for registration.