UC Davis student Justin Hong wants to share his recipe for a great party drink: the mix includes common sense precautions and good police relations.

The senior will be one of three UC Davis health interns to ride with city of Davis police patrol officers and contribute health and safety messages to police tweets on the first few weekends of the fall quarter.

"My hope for students is that they drink responsibly, especially at parties, and that they know what resources are available to help them out," said the biochemistry major from Redondo Beach, California.

The initiative of UC Davis' Student Health and Counseling Services is among the ways UC Davis and the community are working together to reduce the ill effects of college drinking. Other efforts range from a pilot program to train students when and how to call 911 for a peer who has been drinking, to the recruitment of student volunteers to respond to noisy party complaints on behalf of the city Police Department.

According to a spring survey of more than 1,000 UC Davis undergraduates, 35 percent of those respondents who drank reported having five or more drinks. One in four respondents reported consuming five or more drinks in a sitting within the last two weeks.

Law enforcement and outreach

The city and UC Davis police departments' early fall outreach and enforcement efforts related to alcohol use stem from the Safe Party Initiative to reduce alcohol-related risks at parties and foster better relationships among students and their neighbors. Police ride-alongs now leverage the reach of social media, which has emerged since the campus and city collaboration began in 2004.

Last fall, Hong rode along with an officer and helped her interject health and safety content into her tweets as she responded to calls, including a house party. This year, the student health center will retweet the officers' posts on the department's Twitter account at @cityofdavispd, and the students will also blog about their experiences.

In the spring of 2014, Hong, who was a designated driver, returned to a house party to learn a friend had fallen off the roof and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance.

"It motivated me as a student and reinforced what I believe in and the harm-reduction principles that we promote," said Hong, who is considering nursing school and a master's degree in public health.

When and how to call 911

A new effort, called the Red Watchband program, will offer student workshops on how to identify when a peer who has been drinking needs emergency medical assistance and how to most effectively place a 911 call.

Polly Paulson, who leads Health Education and Promotion for the student health center, said training bystanders to intervene is a promising practice for reducing risks from college drinking.

"We want to empower students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to care for their friends and others," she said.

Raeann Davis, who is a UC Davis health educator on topics related to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, said the workshops — which include hands-on CPR training and role playing — are named for the red watch that participants receive upon completion.

Other programs

• The city Police Department is recruiting UC Davis students for its new Party Ambassador program. Lt. Paul Doroshov said the trained volunteers will respond to noise complaints received by the Police Department.
• A new online interactive resource, Night Out, takes students through an evening of pubbing or partying to see how their drinking choices would affect their blood alcohol level.
• The Buzz will offer alcohol-free fun for UC Davis students on Friday, Sept. 25. This annual event, held on the first Friday of the fall quarter, includes a concert, break-dance battle, games, food and giveaways — all on the Quad.
• Two services offer free transportation to help students and others move about and get home safely. The UC Davis Police Department's Safe Rides service is available for rides or escort from campus 13 hours a day. Tipsy Taxi, operated by the Associated Students of UC Davis, offers undergraduates transportation Thursday through Saturday nights.

The student health center offers assessment and intervention services for alcohol, tobacco and other drug issues. The campus also provides leadership to the Davis Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Group.