Loyola Receives Grant for Drug Abuse Classes

A $33,769 federal grant awarded to Loyola Marymount University will be used to educate students on the Westchester campus about drug abuse and violence against women, university officials announced Tuesday.

The two-year grant from the Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education will help fund a variety of programs ranging from peer education on drug and alcohol abuse to bringing speakers on assaults against women to the campus.

A program will be developed to address issues revealed in a recent survey of 500 students on drug and alcohol abuse issues on campus, said Norm Schneider, a university spokesman.

The survey showed that 25% of the respondents had experienced a personal problem with drug or alcohol abuse, and a quarter reported missing a class because of alcohol or drug abuse. One-third of the students reported a public problem within the past year because of drug or alcohol abuse.

Using grant money, some students will be recruited to attend state and national peer education workshops, and a drug and alcohol prevention program will be developed for campus use, Schneider said.