According to www.Madd.com, around 1700 college students die from alcohol-related incidents. This includes alcohol poisoning. According to the University of Kansas newspaper, the University Daily Kansan, In 2008, Lawrence Memorial Hospitals emergency room treated 1,526 patients for alcohol-related issues, 273 of which were college students. 365 were treated for alcohol poisoning. Jason Wren died this March, 2009, of alcohol poisoning.

This could all be minimized, and there would be no more tragic deaths from alcohol overdoses if the University of Kansas had a mandatory alcohol education program for all incoming freshmen. If this requirement is extended even further, to more schools, there need never be another Jason Wren to make university leaders wake up to the alcohol cultures around their campuses.

Several schools in the Big 12 Conference have a required online course called AlcoholEdu for all incoming freshmen. It teaches them about the effects of alcohol on the body and how to recognize someone suffering from alcohol poisoning. This basic safety course could be enough to make sure there is always someone with the knowledge to save a life.

We, the undersigned, request a mandatory online education course at more colleges and universities, including and starting with the University of Kansas.