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Millersville students to pay alcohol fines

College students are heading back to school, and with that comes the concern over binge drinking. One local university is trying to put a stop to the never endi...

College students are heading back to school, and with that comes the concern over binge drinking.

One local university is trying to put a stop to the never ending problem as best they can.

And it’s a problem on every college campus.

John Baltzer says it’s those tiny interventions that send the biggest message to students who drink too much.

Baltzer got into this field of work because he saw the deadly effects alcoholism had on his family.

Of the 7,500 students at Millersville, he mostly sees those who break the rules, but he doesn’t scold them when they walk into his office.

“A kid that’s talking about nothing but I’m going to party my hiney off while I’m here at Millersville can say you know we know that effects GPA and just leave it at that,” says Baltzer.

New rules put in place this year will require students to pay a fine if they’re caught drinking underage.

“It’s one of those things we run in to and say ooh I don’t know if I want to do that again,” says Baltzer.

It’s also the job of orientation leaders.

Freshman are being guided around campus this week.

Baltzer says they’re supposed to sway students down a positive path.

“We understand that college students will be college students but if we can get them to make smart choices and wise choices, that will help a lot,” says Derick Duffy, a Millersville orientation leader.

Baltzer says 25% of freshman at Millersville have never had a sip of alcohol.

And he wants to keep it that way.

“Millersville is not a big party school. Irregardless of the school not everybody doesn’t party, but people come here in that mindset and it really sets us up to end up being in a lot more trouble than is necessary,” says Baltzer.

A study done by Penn State shows the sooner students are told the negative effects binge drinking has the less likely they are to engage in that behavior.

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