By Morgan Quattlebaum |ContributorThe Augusta University Wellness Center presented “What’s in the Bottle: Before & After,” led by peer educators informing students of alcohol awareness and safety. The event took place in the Jaguar Student Activity Center breezeway on Wednesday, Jan. 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There was an informative booth set up with facts about alcohol consumption, safety while under the influence and how to have a fun time while still being safe.According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's center for statistics and analysis, in fatal car wrecks in the past year, the highest percentage of drivers with blood alcohol levels of .08 or higher was for 21- to 24-year-olds. This means the majority of drivers out on the road that are deciding to drive under the influence are college-aged young adults.They were very prepared in answering any questions that a student may have about alcohol consumption and safety. This event is one step forward to helping prevent any further incidents involving underage drinking. Ashly Voltaire, one of the peer educators leading this event, was asked why she felt it was important to spread awareness of the safety precautions involved in alcohol consumption.“I think during the past year we have had way too many accidents involving drunk driving in Georgia," Voltaire said. "We’re trying to make sure that students are aware of their different options to get home after they have been drinking."The literature at the Well Center booth was very informative. For example, one data sheet showed how to calculate how much alcohol it takes for an individual to be over the legal limit according to his/her weight, gender and age. The center had several informative brochures containing facts about alcohol that the majority of the student population is most likely not aware of, with facts like the temperature of the drink impacts alcohol absorption. Warm alcohol is absorbed quicker than cold alcohol."The Wellness Center is working hard to spread awareness to students that it’s not a bad thing to drink as long as you’re doing it responsibly. Their main goal with this event is to spread awareness and lower the numbers of people dying on the roads annually from people driving under the influence of alcohol.In the United States, 29 people die every day because of alcohol-impaired drivers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.The latest statistics from the CDC are from 2017. That year, Georgia had 366 fatalities related to alcohol-impaired driving, which was about 24 percent of the overall auto deaths in the state that year. A total of 32 of that 366 were from drivers under the age of 21.The Wellness Center is located on the Health Sciences campus at DA 1000 on 1488 Laney Walker Blvd. You can call the Wellness Center at (706) 721-6800. Contact Morgan Quattlebaum at mquattlebaum@augusta.edu