Who knew that a pumpkin, a few safety pins, old newspapers, and some old clothes could create awareness about the signs of alcohol poisoning. That’s exactly what my staff and I used to create a “drunk pumpkin” outside of our office.

We partnered with our campus’s Alcohol & Other Drugs (AOD) education program along with student peer educators to host a table in which AOD information and promotional materials were available. Students could visit the table and take guesses at how many candy corn pieces and Tootsie Rolls were in two different jars. The two students who guess the correct number of pieces of candy (or closest to the correct amount) will win plastic buckets of Halloween goodies, including new scary movie DVD’s.

Developing this program was very easy and cost-effective. The pumpkin cost approximately $9.00, and the prizes were about $40.00 for the two DVD’s and the various candy and goodies to fill the plastic Halloween buckets. The program could even be planned without having a prize contest if your budget is limited. The clothes were stuffed with old newspapers and safety pinned together so the body could be moved without falling apart.

Facts about alcohol poisoning to include in your program can be found at CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov, which includes the following:

Critical Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning

• Mental confusion, stupor, coma, or person cannot be roused
• Vomiting
• Seizures
• Slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute)
• Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
• Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness

This is an effective and cost-effective educational program that creates a lot of buzz among students. We had a lot of fun putting it together and encourage you to create a “drunk pumpkin” on your campus! Have a safe and Happy Halloween!