It is an international association of college and university based peer education programs focusing on alcohol abuse prevention and other student health and safety issues. The mission is to actively promote peer education as a useful element of campus health education and wellness efforts. Through education and activities designed to increase awareness of changing student health and safety issues, BACCHUS and GAMMA focuses on the development and promotion of positive lifestyles and decision-making skills.

We believe students play a uniquely effective role - unmatched by professional educators - in encouraging their peers to consider, talk honestly about, and develop responsible habits and attitudes toward the use or non-use of alcohol and other student health and safety issues. BACCHUS and GAMMA promotes respect for state laws and campus policies related to alcohol use, and opposes the notion that excessive use of alcohol is an acceptable social practice. In addition to alcohol issues, we also support educational efforts on various health topics such as sexual responsibility, tobacco prevention, marijuana use and sexual assault. We support those students in the majority who are making responsible decisions in regards to their health.

We believe in making campuses safer, healthier and more enjoyable through peer education. Our Network provides a mechanism for students to come together socially, and gain life skills in leadership, responsibility, organization and networking. BACCHUS and GAMMA students are motivated by personal experience and the desire to improve lifestyles for themselves and their friends.

Students focus on conducting programs, campaigns, and projects that create awareness, education, and encourage positive decision-making. Each BACCHUS or GAMMA affiliate group plans programs according to the needs of their specific campus. Some members choose to focus on National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, Sexual Responsibility Week, Safe Spring Break programs or tobacco prevention. Others use formal peer education training to present programs to the campus community. Many cover all of these issues. The decision is yours. Make your peer education team whatever you want it to be. Most importantly, allow us to support your efforts and share information from our Network of affiliates.

One of the unique aspects of our organization is that students play a very active leadership role within the network. Some students participate in the BACCHUS and GAMMA Peer Education Network by volunteering at either a regional or national level in one of our student representative positions. Because they are the very core of our association, students not only become more educated on student health and safety issues, but they also develop greater self-confidence, confrontation skills, and communication skills. They become effective at problem solving, decision-making and program planning...all important life skills for a future career, graduate work, and a meaningful life.

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The BACCHUS and GAMMA Peer Education Network began as BACCHUS in 1975 at the University of Florida.

The name BACCHUS, (the Greek God of wine) was chosen as the first emblem to represent our association as an alcohol awareness organization, not an anti-drinking group. "BACCHUS" was used as an acronym for Boosting Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students. GAMMA (Greeks Advocating Mature Management of Alcohol) came later, as it was realized that many affiliates were fraternity and sorority members.

In recent years, many campuses have chosen their own specific name or acronym for their group, sometimes not using BACCHUS or GAMMA as part of their official name. To be inclusive and reflective of the varied peer education groups who are affiliated with the network, the name was changed to The BACCHUS and GAMMA Peer Education Network.