STAR

Students for Tobacco and Alcohol Reform

STAR peer educators are students trained to provide accurate information about the effects of alcohol, tobacco and other substances. Their goal is to reduce the harmful outcomes that can result from tobacco use, substance abuse, and high-risk use of alcohol.

STAR members strive to convey information in a fun, nonjudgmental way by coordinating special events such as Alcohol Awareness Week and Safe Spring Break Week.

Mission

The primary mission of STAR is to provide accurate information to students about risks associated with tobacco, alcohol and other drug use and to encourage behaviors that minimize or reduce these risks. Our philosophy is that students will usually make the best decisions for themselves when they are empowered with accurate information about the risks and benefits of their actions. We take a “harm reduction” approach to campus alcohol, tobacco and other drug issues. This means that we do not preach a message of “abstinence for all,” but we do support students who choose abstinence. We also support non-abstainers by encouraging protective behaviors that reduce the risk of harm when using alcohol, tobacco and/or other drugs.

Goals and Objectives

1. To promote STAR as a self sufficient, student led organization with CAPS and Health Promotion staff serving as mentors, instructors and advisors.
2. To provide accurate and timely information on alcohol, tobacco and other drug-related topics to the student body.
3. To challenge student misperceptions about the prevalence of high-risk alcohol and drug use behaviors among their peers.
4. To be recognized as campus leaders, and have increased visibility around issues of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use on campus.

For more information contact Kevin J. Harrell, MPH, CHES at kevin.harrell@duke.edu or 668-5666.