Alcorn among coalition stressing suicide, alcohol-abuse prevention

Alcorn among coalition stressing suicide, alcohol-abuse prevention

According to national statistics, suicides claim the lives of more than 41,000 people annually—and are the second leading cause of death on college campuses. Alcohol is the most abused substance.

As Alcorn State University begins the 2015-16 school year, the Mississippi Coalition for Partners in Prevention (MCPP) is launching a media campaign to combat suicide and alcohol abuse.

As part of the 20-week campaign, the university and all of the state’s other public institutions of higher learning, as well as a majority of community colleges in the state, are being flooded with posters and social media messages providing helpful tips, statistics and positive messages to incoming students. “Hotline” telephone numbers are also provided.

“We want students to know the facts. Therefore, it is extremely important to get the message out over and over that help is available, and there is someone who cares enough to provide the assistance students need to solve a temporary problem,” said Dyann Moses, director of the Counseling and Testing Center and Alcorn Substance Abuse Prevention Program (ASAPP).

The ASAPP program is funded by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health/Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Services.

Emanuel Barnes, vice president of Student Affairs, said the campaign definitely should get our students attention and has the potential to make a significant impact.

For more information on the Mississippi Coalition for Partners in Prevention (MCPP), visit https://www.health.msstate.edu/staydry/index.php.

Alcorn – Where Knowledge and Character Matter – is a historically black comprehensive land-grant institution located in Lorman, Mississippi with branches in Natchez and Vicksburg, Mississippi. Visit online at https:// www.alcorn.edu.