House Republican Press Release

March 25, 2008

Press Office: 860-240-8700

REP. SCRIBNER PARTICIPATES IN CAMPUS HEALTH PROMOTION

MIDDLETOWN – On Monday, March 24, State Rep. David Scribner (R-Brookfield, Bethel) joined with leading state health and education officials at a ceremony at Wesleyan University in Middletown promoting Connecticut’s Healthy Campus Initiative. The initiative is designed to help prevent high-risk alcohol, tobacco and other drug use and reduce related consequences to college students.

Rep. Scribner, who was appointed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell to serve as the State Team Leader to Address Underage Drinking, presented the award for Outstanding Prevention Efforts on a Community Level. In addition, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Deputy Commissioner Peter Rockholz, also a Brookfield resident, presented an award. Rep. Scribner also serves as a member of the Legislature’s Public Health Committee.

The Outstanding Prevention Efforts on a Community Level award is given for campuses that have a formal arrangement for collaboration between sectors of a community that work toward building a healthy, safe and drug-free community. Colleges that received the award were Connecticut College, Mitchell College, the University of Connecticut, Eastern Connecticut State University and Western Connecticut State University.

“It is encouraging to see these colleges make tremendous efforts to promote healthy campuses,” said Rep. Scribner. “We know that alcohol use, especially by underage students, is the number one health issue facing schools nationwide and it is for this reason, it is the top priority for our state leadership team. Initiatives to address this problem on campus are to be commended and the recipients should be congratulated for a job well done.”

The Connecticut Statewide Healthy Campus Initiative was established in 2004, when representatives from more than 20 higher education institutions began meeting to discuss strategies. In January 2006, Presidents and Senior Administrators from more than 40 colleges signed an agreement pledging to empower their institutions to move forward in fostering a campus-community culture that reduces high-risk alcohol and other drug use among college students.

On March 25, State Rep. David Scribner joined with leading state health and education officials at a ceremony at Wesleyan University in Middletown promoting Connecticut’s Healthy Campus Initiative. From left to right: Walter Bernstein, Ph.D., Vice President, Western CT State University, Rep, Scribner, Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Chairman & President of The National Cenetr on Addiction & Substance Abuse at Columbia University,Peter B. Rockholz, Deputy Commissioner, CT Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services (DMHAS), Thomas A. Kirk, Jr., Ph.D., DMHAS Commissioner, CT Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services, Michael P. Meotti, Commissioner, CT Department of Higher Education.