The state is giving York College and city police more than $22,000 to help programs to deter high-risk and underage drinking.

The grant, awarded by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, will be used to expand existing programs throughout the college and will be used by police to improve enforcement efforts in the Southwest neighborhood.

"We are educating students about the expectations we have when they come to campus," said Mary Dolheimer, a spokeswoman for York College.

York College will use the money to upgrade programs that are already in place: educating new students about the dry campus, teaching students about consequences of high-risk drinking and surveying student alcohol use to gather data about the problem.

Starting last school year, new students were required to take an online class about alcohol and drug use, enforcement policies and the effects of these substances on the body, Dolheimer said. There was a decrease in first-time offenders after the program was launched, according to the college.

According to crime statistics posted on York College's Web site, there were 294 on-campus alcohol disciplinary actions in 2007, down from 423 the previous year. There were 31 liquor law arrests on campus in 2007, up from 11 the previous year, according to the college.

The grant money will also be used to expand a campus and community coalition, called LEAD, to include the city police department. This program aims to prevent substance abuse behavior by rewarding students for positive endeavors.

City police will use their portion of the grant, totaling nearly $11,500, to increase enforcement of underage drinking and other alcohol laws in the southwest portion of the city, an area where some students live.

Last school year, city police cited more than 80 students in an off-campus party on the 100 block of West Jackson Street. Most were charged with underage drinking; a few others faced charges for providing the alcohol to minors.

ndobo@ydr.com; 771-2032

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