The University and Parkland College have begun collaborating with Champaign, Urbana and nearby communities to form an alcohol and other drug task force.

Organizers plan to use the task force to address how alcohol and other drug use affect campuses and the community at large.

More than 180 students, teachers, police officers and other members of the community discussed the need for a task force to address the issues presented at an alcohol and other drug symposium on Friday. The day-long symposium was held at the Park Inn in Urbana.

When asked if they were concerned with the issues involving alcohol and other drugs, almost all of the attendants raised their hands.

"We wanted to talk about the issues first, then see who wanted to follow along and address these issues," said Ilene Harned, coordinator at the University's Alcohol and Other Drug Office.

"The University on its own can't solve this. The community on its own can't solve this," she said.

Harned also said since neither one could solve the problems relating to alcohol and other drugs by itself, they needed to combine their efforts.

"The most important thing we wanted to do today was to mobilize the University and community to form a task force," said Connie Shapiro, chairwoman of the University's policy and oversight steering committee on alcohol use and abuse.

After listening to the speakers at the symposium, attendants were encouraged to fill out a form to participate in the Alcohol and Other Drug Task Force, which will have its first meeting on Oct. 14 at Parkland College.

Some of those issues pertain to financial aspects as well as safety issues.

"It costs the community in a lot of ways," Harned said.

Two of the speakers were Officer Barb Robbins of the University Police Department, who spoke about ecstasy and club drugs, and Sgt. Scott Friedlein, who is in charge of the Champaign Police Department's Alcohol Enforcement Unit.

"Underage drinking, in my terms and others, is an epidemic," Friedlein said.

Friedlein said some of the same issues with underage drinking are still present — for instance, the attitudes that bar employees have toward underage drinking.

However, there have been many successes in terms of binge drinking and underage drinking, he said. Bars are more responsive to the issues now.

"It's not like it used to be," he said.

The police department has a 92 percent bar check compliance rate with the local establishments. In addition, campus bars are voluntarily choosing not to sell liquor with high proof levels, Friedlein said.

Shapiro said that despite the success, alcohol and other drugs continue to be a problem.

"We still have a long ways to go. I don't want it to stop because we've had success," Friedlein said. "We're at a good time where we can reinvigorate an interest."

Brett Mense, senior in LAS, said he plans on being a part of the task force.

"Well, for me, being a student, I think many times adults have a view that's distanced ... kind of from the top down. A lot of this is about the students, and we see this at eye-level," Mense said.

He said it was important for him to be at the symposium to ensure that student perspectives were being represented.

"I think they were addressed. I think the task force is a better place for more input," Mense said.

Mense said he thinks that underage drinking is an issue that is "worthy of attention."

"I think that it's often an assumed part of college life ... not that everyone's doing it, but that it's a part of the culture and I'm not sure that it should be," he said.