During holidays like Halloween, knowing how to keep your students safe is an important topic on college campuses. The last thing any school wants is an injured student amid holiday festivities, and a little education can go a long way to prevent unsafe situations.
Here are a few tips from the Wellfleet team on how to help keep your students safe during the Halloween season.
1. Caution against the dangers of binge drinking
Halloween is often associated with one of the biggest party weekends on campuses, so it’s important to remind students of the dangers associated with binge drinking. According to a recent study, college students reported that they drank about 1.4 more drinks on Halloween than they usually would consume on any other weekend.1
If celebrating, advise your students to:
- Stay hydrated.
- Drink water and alternate between non-alcoholic drinks.
- Don’t accept drinks or edibles from strangers.
- Never leave your beverage unattended.
- Pour your own drinks.
- Know what you’re eating. If you don’t know what’s in it, don’t eat it.
- Don’t overindulge. Know the dangers of alcohol and cannabis poisoning.
2. Provide on-campus Halloween activities
Additionally, for holidays that occur during the school year when students are on campus, such as Halloween, it’s a great idea for campuses to provide an on-campus event or activity for students. By sponsoring and overseeing an event, the campus can provide a safer alternative for students to relax and have a good time with friends.
3. Promote safe driving practices
In addition to wearing a seat belt, educate college students on the risk of driving under the influence. Motor vehicle accidents with alcohol-impaired drivers account for 30% of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S.2
Encourage students to use a designated driver or a ride-share app like Uber or Lyft to get home if they are impaired. To help ensure they can get a ride, remind students to fully charge their phones before heading out for the night.
4. Encourage students to travel in groups
When students are out and about during Halloween festivities, staying with a group of peers they trust is important. They should commit to arriving and leaving together, and checking in throughout the evening. Students who are alone can be more vulnerable, so having the support of people they trust can help them get home safely.
When students are out and about at night, situational awareness becomes even more important. So, encourage students to pay attention to their surroundings and stick to well-lit paths if walking after dark.
5. Teach students to trust their instincts
Another way to help keep students safe during celebrations like Halloween is to teach students to trust their gut. If they feel unsafe or uneasy for any reason, they should leave the situation. Remind them of available campus resources, such as campus ride share or police, that can help escort them.
When traveling with a group of friends, the entire group should leave if any one person starts to feel unsafe in the situation. Students should trust their instincts — it’s a simple way to prioritize their safety.
Learn more about Wellfleet
At Wellfleet, student well-being is our top priority. That’s why we create student health insurance plans built to help students get the care they need to feel their best. Connect with our team to learn more about our tailored student health insurance solutions today.
References
1 The Recovery Village. Valenzky, T. (2024, October 3). Alcohol Abuse: Signs, Risks & How To Get Help. https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/alcohol-abuse/
2 CDC. (2024, May 16). Impaired Driving Facts. https://www.cdc.gov/impaired-driving/facts/index.html.
Wellfleet, Wellfleet Student, Wellfleet Special Risk, and Wellfleet Workplace are marketing names used to refer to the insurance and administrative operations of Wellfleet Insurance Company, Wellfleet New York Insurance Company, and Wellfleet Group, LLC (known in California only as Wellfleet Group, LLC dba Wellfleet Administrators, LLC). All insurance products are administered or managed by Wellfleet Group, LLC. Product availability is based upon business and/or regulatory approval and may differ among states.
CSR-SHIP-OCTOBER-2024-02
