Julie Laipply studied the factors that contributed to youth drug abuse. Then, she decided to do something about it.Laipply, the president of Positive Resistance to Ohio State University’s Use of Drugs (PROUD), started the organization because she said OSU didn’t have a drug-free organization that was socially oriented.”It’s something I feel drawn to do,” said Laipply, a junior majoring in animal science and communications.PROUD, which started this quarter, wants to motivate students to maintain a life free of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. It is a group of students dedicated to having fun without alcohol or drugs, Laipply said.Laipply’s curiosities about substance abuse was the reason she decided to form PROUD.”I was interested in why students get drunk every weekend,” she said.Alcohol is a big problem because it is the most widely abused and socially accepted substance, she said.”There is such a pressure to drink,” Laipply said. “You’re just sucked right in there.”Many violence-related crimes at OSU are linked to alcohol, she said.According to information provided by the Student Wellness Center, alcohol contributes to 70 percent of violent behavior. Almost 50 percent of college students who have been victims of crime said that they had used drugs or alcohol before the time of the crime. “You pick out a problem and usually alcohol is involved,” Laipply said.Although PROUD is a drug-free organization, it stresses that people can make sensible decisions about alcohol on their own.”We’re not anti-alcoholic. We’re here to support the people that decide not to drink,” Laipply said.The organization’s focus is much needed in the dorms, said Leah Crocker, the service director for PROUD.”We’re focusing on freshmen and sophomores to give them an alternative to the norm,” said Crocker, a freshman majoring in biology.Many students that are bored see alcohol as their only alternative, she said.PROUD is a service, social and outreach-oriented organization which offers many activities. It works with the Teen Institute, goes to conferences, helps teens in middle and high schools and works with Campus Partners.PROUD members are currently looking for enrolled OSU students who live a chemical-free lifestyle to join their organization.Their meetings are on Monday at 7 p.m. on the 15th floor of Lincoln Tower.The club has monthly dinner parties and “PROUD” parties, where non-alcoholic beverages are served.A few of the other new organizations that started this year are the Students for Free Thought, the Columbus Free Burma Association and the Taper’s Section.To start an organization, there must be three officers and one adviser who is a faculty or staff member.A student can register an organization at the Office of Student Activities.