Alcohol abuse at Iowa State will be the topic of a forum on Tuesday at noon in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union.

Administrators and students will discuss alcohol-related attitudes, practices and problems, and possible solutions for alcohol abuse at ISU.

Recent deaths due to alcohol poisoning, such as the death of an undergraduate at Massachusetts Institutional Technology, have raised concerns on university campuses across the country.

Rob Wiese, president of the Government of the Student Body, said the forum will concentrate on alcohol abuse in general. The forum will be open for public discussion.

Thomas DeCarlo, assistant professor of marketing, will make opening comments about the results of a survey he co-conducted, which asked individuals about alcohol-related and drunk-driving slogans.

According to the results, the warning slogans are not effective and do not deter individuals from drinking, he said.

The study shows 59 percent of those surveyed said they read the warning labels before purchasing alcohol. Only seven percent said the labels affect how much alcohol they consume.

Loras Jaeger, director of the Department of Public Safety, said binge drinking and the possibility of students dying of alcohol poisoning is a big concern.

Nine individuals from campus and community organizations including Jaeger, Wiese and Ames Chief of Police Dennis Ballantine will sit on the panel.

Wiese said he predicts ISU will eventually go alcohol-free like other colleges such as those in Massachusetts.

Recently, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education voted to ban alcohol on all state and community college campuses in an attempt to curb college drinking and alcohol-related deaths.

Wiese said ISU is trying to encourage students to drink responsibly. “Education to teach responsible drinking is what we need,” Wiese said.

The forum is sponsored by the Student Union Board, Alcohol Awareness Week and the Committee on Lectures. It is funded by GSB.

Chuck Cychosz, from the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, will moderate the forum.