About 30 people who attended a forum on alcohol abuse Tuesday witnessed a heated debate about the way Student Health Services helps students seek help for alcohol problems.

“I got no help from counseling services except Xanax and sleeping pills,” said Bill Reschke, a 33-year-old junior in history, and a recovering alcoholic who sought help from Student Health Services several times.

Moderator Chuck Cychosz introduced the forum by recounting alcohol-related tragedies on campus, including that of Jared Kenyon, a freshman in engineering who was treated for alcohol poisoning earlier this month at Mary Greeley Medical Center.

“Everyone has a role to play in addressing these problems,” Cychosz said.

Tom DeCarlo, assistant professor of marketing at Iowa State, discussed the results of a survey he co-conducted about alcohol warning labels and their perceived messages.

DeCarlo split individuals into groups based on age and the amount of alcohol consumed per week.

DeCarlo said he found people who were 30 years old and older, and those who were more health-conscious, read the warning labels more often than people under 30 years old and those who were not as concerned about their health.

Catchy slogans like “Friends don’t let friends drink and drive” are less effective than ads that have death or dying mentioned in them, DeCarlo said.

The survey also revealed people were becoming immune to such saccharine slogans.

“The more association with death and dying, the more it becomes a reality in perception,” DeCarlo said.

Government of the Student Body President Rob Wiese said students are being blamed for problems caused by alcohol abuse, but it is not their problem alone. Alumni and faculty should share some of the responsibility, Wiese said.

“We all need to work together,” he said, adding taking the pledge to work for a dry Veishea was the first step.

Sgt. Randy Kessel of the Ames Police Department said there were 1,700 incidents of arrest or citations involving alcohol consumption in Ames last year. The incidents range from underage drinking to the murder of Harold “Uri” Sellers, he said.

Fines are getting higher for those who drink and break the law, Kessel said. The first offense for possession of alcohol under the legal age is $100, plus a $30 surcharge and $15 in court fees. Fines for first-offense operating a vehicle while intoxicated have been increased from $500 to $1,000, he said.

Wiese said one reason many 18-year-olds drink is they are exploring the freedom that comes with being at college and away from their parents. This often causes freshmen to drink irresponsibly, he said.

“I would like people to think when they drink,” Wiese said.

Reschke objected to Wiese’s statement, saying, “Think when you drink is an oxymoron.” Reschke said people cannot think when they drink.

“Feel-good programs and Student Counseling Services need to be more reality-based,” Reschke said. When Reschke was drinking, he said the