UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State students who are interested in reducing consequences related to alcohol use are encouraged to sign up for LionsCare. LionsCare is a free, confidential text messaging service shown to be effective in reducing harmful consequences associated with alcohol use.
Signing up for the service is easy. Text the word HEALTH to 412-906-4450.
By subscribing to LionsCare, students will receive 12 weeks of personalized text messages. The messages are designed to provide information about drinking norms, and potential injuries associated heavy drinking episodes, blacking out, and hangovers.
Students will receive messages reinforcing behaviors that reduce the harms associated with dangerous drinking. Students will also be given strategies to help them handle the social pressure that can accompany drinking in college.
University Health Services is sponsoring the free service. Because it is a confidential program, Penn State will never have access to the names and cell phone numbers of students who sign up. Staff will only have access to de-identified, aggregate data.
LionsCare is Penn State’s version of CaringTXT created by healthStratica LLC.