Behind the News: UCC student Michael Hanrahan

The efforts to discourage students from drinking too much alcohol is one of the most noteworthy aspects of University College Cork's work towards its new award as Ireland's "first health-promoting university", according to Michael Hanrahan. "Nights out have got safer, and this is partly due to the student patrols of students in the pubs around campus. Basically, they help anyone who is too drunk to get home safely," the medical student from Co Clare says.

This peer support, which began when Hanrahan was in second year, complements other initiatives, such as Epub, a survey on alcohol consumption that every student is asked to complete at registration. An alcohol-free-accommodation option, which groups together students who don’t drink, has recently been expanded at the university. “Basically, it means people can share with three other people who aren’t partying every week,” says Hanrahan, who does drink alcohol

Overall, he says, students’ reputation for binge drinking is exaggerated. “Most students can go out and enjoy themselves and not cause damage or harm to anyone. It’s a minority who are excessive drinkers, and the problem is with predrinking” – drinking before they go out for the night – “because students don’t want to pay for alcohol in bars.”

Hanrahan has taken a year out from his medical studies to do a master's in public health, so he has more than a passing interest in Health Matters, the umbrella term for all the initiatives that led HSE South to give the college its health-promoting award this week.

Led by Dr Michael Byrne, head of the student-health department, UCC Health Matters covers alcohol and substance misuse; mental health and wellbeing; sexual health; physical activity and active transport; and food and nutrition.

Sandra Coughlan, a health-promotion manager at HSE South, says, "UCC demonstrated a joined-up approach to health which reflects the Government's national Healthy Ireland agenda."

The college’s own Operation Transformation scheme is popular on the campus of 20,000 students. “Healthy options on the menus in the canteens also started last year, and there’s a colour-coding system in the main restaurant, showing what’s healthy and less healthy,” says Hanrahan.

In addition, two Shag Weeks offer free condoms and sexually-transmitted-infection clinics.