Pregnancy tests are headed to the women's bathroom at Lakehead University's on-campus bar.
Lakehead University Student Union vice-president Charmaine Romaniuk on Thursday confirmed the school has agreed to the groundbreaking move, saying at the very least it will make students stop and think.
"It falls in line with some of our awareness campaigns on campus and I think this will benefit the students and population at large," said Romaniuk, who was approached by Healthy Brains for Children and asked to install the dispensary.
Romaniuk said it's not that a lot of LU students, or visitors to the Outpost, are necessarily pregnant.
"But they're going to know when they go into the bar that they should be aware of their bodies and be aware of things that can affect their future and the future of their children," she said.
Romaniuk said she's not concerned about backlash from conservative or religious groups. The decision was made with the best interest of students in mind.
"The reality is, students are going to act like students. They're adults. They can make their own choices. We just want to provide the option, so this gives us the ability to provide those options for students and the population at large, because it's open to the public too," Romaniuk said.
The tests, which will be available for the start of the school year in September, will cost $3. LUSU will cover the cost of the installation.
The Think Before You Drink Initiative was launched last July in Mankato, Minn.
The organization says they're hoping to install pregnancy test dispensers in bars, gas stations, malls and fitness centres.
According to statistics provided by Healthy Brains for Children, 70 per cent of women between ages 20 to 29 experience unexpected pregnancies, which are considered high risk for prenatal exposure to alcohol and fetal alcohol syndrome.
The organization says if a woman knows she's pregnant and stops drinking within 18 days of it happening, FASD won't affect the baby.
