Sacramento State’s resident halls are observing NationalCollegiate Alcohol Awareness Week Sunday through Friday by offeringstudents opportunities to inform themselves about the dangers ofalcohol abuse.

The Alcohol and Drug Programming Committee planned the week ofevents.

The committee was coordinated by David Lee, an area halldirector for Sierra and Sutter resident halls. In addition to Lee,there were five resident advisors and two residents on thecommittee.

The committee formed the Be S.A.F.E. campaign, which stands forSubstance Abuse Free Experience. About 300 students made a pledgenot to drink this week as part of the campaign, Lee said. Ifstudents are seen wearing their bracelets at other alcoholawareness events they could receive prizes.

Nicholas Jackson, a freshman business major, said he plans onkeeping his pledge as long as he can.

“It’s good that us underage people don’t drink, because it’sillegal and could get someone hurt,” Jackson said. “Young peopleshould be aware of drinking and driving.”

According to the Mothers Against Drunk Driving website, therewere 1,612 alcohol-related traffic fatalities in 2002, which was upfrom the previous year, 1,552.

Jeneen Phillips, MADD’s local chapter administrator, was hit bya drunk driver when she was 16, a senior in high school. Philips,now 37, said she spent her last year in high school going throughrehabilitation.

“Under aged drinking is a very real problem,” Phillips said.”They think they’re invincible.”

Phillips said that if someone is under 21, they should not drinkat all. Besides the fact it is illegal, the brain is not fullyformed yet and consuming alcohol does irreversible damage.

For those that are 21, Phillips said they should beresponsible.

“It (driving under the influence) is like taking a weapon andpointing it at someone and shooting it wildly,” Phillips said. “Thebullets may hit and they might not.”

This week there are peer health education programs,bulletin-board contests and a crash car display in front of theresident halls.

The Natural High Fair organized by Recreational Sports is in thequad today.

The culmination of this week’s events will be Friday when therewill be a fair set up in front on the resident halls.

The fair will include inflatable jumping house and jousting, butalso educational activities.

Students will wear goggles that give the effect of beingintoxicated by distorting their vision and will be offeredmocktails labeled with the amount of alcohol you might find in amixed drink at a party.

The goal of the week’s events is to curb alcohol abuse on thecampus and make people aware that it is possible to drinkresponsibly.

“We want people to realize how much they do drink when they arein different settings,” Lee said. “This week will really besuccessful.”

According to the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey on Sac State’swebsite, 95 percent of students say they have acted in responsiblebehaviors like designated drivers, setting drink limits andavoiding drinking games.

Fourteen hundred Sac State students participated in AmericanCollege Health Association’s poll conducted by both students andstaff. Thirty-nine percent of students said they had not consumedalcohol in the prior month and 22 percent said they had never usedalcohol.