This story has Vermont written all over it.

NBC News reports.

It’s Brain Science: University Fights Binge Drinking With Meditation

A song by U2 blares from loudspeakers as Dr. James Hudziak tosses a brain-shaped football back and forth to students, calling them out by name as they file in to the University of Vermont lecture hall.

The neuroscience course, “Healthy Brains, Healthy Bodies,” is about to begin, first with meditation, then the latest research on the benefits of clean living.

The class is part of a pioneering program — Wellness Environment or WE, which is anchored in four pillars of health: exercise, nutrition, mindfulness and mentorship.

Last year, the university accepted 120 freshman to live in a substance-free dorm with free perks: a Fitbit to log daily movement, gym passes (normally a $300 fee), yoga classes and even nutrition coaches.

“It’s about behavior change,” said Hudziak, chief of child psychiatry at the College of Medicine and the UVM Medical Center on the Burlington campus and program founder.

“When armed with science, young people can make better decisions,” he told NBC News.

WE students sign a contract agreeing to leave drugs and alcohol “at the door” and are required to take Hudziak’s class.

Imaging shows that the human brain does not reach full maturity until about age 25, and young minds are particularly vulnerable when exposed to a high-risk substances.


 
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