A Wellness Center-promoted website could help St. Thomas students determine whether their alcohol and marijuana use is problematic.

The new eCHECKUP To Go program allows students to anonymously answer questions about their alcohol and marijuana use to find out whether their habits may negatively affect their future. Therese Coughlan, a peer educator with the Wellness Center who specializes with alcohol and tobacco awareness, said the program is an educational tool.

“Some students don’t really know the implications that alcohol has and the different effects that it has as well,” Coughlan said. “It shows if you are at risk or not at risk for the future.”

To use eCHECKUP, participants complete a questionnaire about their personal habits and their family’s habits regarding drinking and smoking. At the end, the site goes through five categories based on the participant’s responses: career, life goals, relationships, self-esteem and health and fitness.

“Based on your answers from the section, it kind of predicts the future,” Coughlan said.

The highly individualized program will tell each user in which areas they may be at risk.

“It also talks about community resources,” Coughlan said. “We have the Wellness Center, Health Services as well and then Counseling and Psychological Services. And then it also provides some off-campus services, like treatment centers.”

eCHECKUP also compares users’ alcohol use to other aspects of their lives. The program can count how many cheeseburgers worth of calories the user consumes in alcoholic beverages and how long they would have to run to burn them off. It compares money spent on alcohol to money spent on rent.

Coughlan said the program is ultimately about awareness.

“Just for (students) to be aware is really big,” Couglan said. “Just of how much it really costs and what it really does.”

However, some students are skeptical about the program.

“I think you’d have a hard time getting students to take it,” sophomore Connor O’Neill said.

Senior Olivia Khauv said many students would choose not to take the test because they wouldn’t feel the need.

“Alcohol is an impulsive thing, and we’re all young. Everyone kind of thinks they’re invincible,” Khauv said.

The eCHECKUP To Go questionnaire can be found on the Wellness Center’s website.

Lauren Schaffran can be reached at scha7492@stthomas.edu.