Student drinking still concern on campus

In the wake of a coroner's report in Ontario blaming the death of two students on alcohol the University of Prince Edward Island is hoping an initiative it launched last year will get the situation under control on its campus.

The coroner said universities need to address what he called a culture of drinking.

"It's an issue prevalent on any campus," student union president Rob Livingstone told CBC News Tuesday.

"Here at UPEI, they have taken strides to help combat that a little bit."

The university came out with an official alcohol policy in January 2010. It bans advertising events like pub crawls on campus and lays out clear rules on where alcohol can be consumed. It also launched an Alcohol Safety Committee to look into effective ways to educate students about the dangers of alcohol abuse.

Josh Miller, who will start his final year at UPEI in September, is now making grades a priority. That wasn't the case during his first year.

"Pretty well every weekend I was drinking," said Miller.

"You definitely see it with the younger crowd I find, coming in. I've heard of a few alcohol poisoning cases, but nothing real serious."

Livingstone said while excessive drinking hasn't led to any fatalities at UPEI, he said it is still a concern.