BOSTON- Senator John Kerry today announced that the University of Massachusetts Amherst will receive $199,120 as part of the Department of Education's Drug and Alcohol Prevention Models on College Campuses Program.

The funding will allow the University to enhance its BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students) Program. The school will change the program delivery methods to increase the number of students who can be seen and reduce wait times between referral and intervention.

"We can't afford to lose young people to alcohol abuse and lifetimes of addiction. The BASICS program's goal of reducing risky behavior is exactly the kind of initiative we need in our schools," said Senator Kerry.

UMass Amherst has implemented BASICS for more than two years. Studies show that students who participated in the program showed significant reductions in high-risk drinking. Campus wide data showed a 38% decline in binge drinking, a 26% decline in frequent binge drinking and a 14% decline in underage binge drinking.

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