Noise appeared to be a bigger issue than intoxication at some
recent University of Otago Orientation Week, a report from
Public Health South staff suggests.
A report to this week's Otago and Southland district health
boards' community and public health committee meeting said
public health staff had been working closely with other
agencies to ensure the week was managed as safely as
possible.
Monitoring of some events during the week found that, in
general, the students seemed to be enjoying themselves and
intoxication, while present, "was not too overt, with noise
being the biggest issue", the report said.
In licensed premises there were some issues with a lack of
food being available, but generally the environments appeared
well controlled.
The report noted that members of the student union were
assisting licensees and working together to ensure events
held were as safe as possible.
Committee member Kaye Crowther said she was "chuffed" to read
of the involvement of public health staff in planning for the
week.
Committee chairman Errol Millar agreed, saying Orientation
seemed to have proceeded much better than last year.
He recalled the "debacle" of last year's toga parade and his
last year's comments that he felt embarrassed to be a
University of Otago graduate when he viewed the aftermath a
day later.
elspeth.mclean@odt.co.nz
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