Methods and Strategies to Reduce Alcohol Use in College Students

The problems associated with excessive alcohol usage habits are numerous, ranging from hangovers or sleepless nights, to life changing events such as rapes, DUI/DWI offenses, and/or fatalities. The long-term effects of binge drinking during college provide evidence that unhealthy drinking habits formed during the college years may, for some, carry over into adulthood, leading to high-risk behaviors which may both increase problematic drinking and decrease overall quality of life. For years college administrators have tried to combat unhealthy and excessive alcohol usage with little success.

One mid-sized Midwestern university has implemented a comprehensive program to reduce excessive and unhealthy drinking behavior with promising initial results. The program, which includes peer-based programs and training, numerous campus-wide education-based programs and events, an alcohol and other drug resource center, a designated driver bus program, and many others, has positively impacted negative alcohol usage outcomes. Data analysis on average Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) collected from 2003 through 2009 indicate a reduced average, weekday, and weekend BAC throughout this time period.

This presentation will present and discuss the methods and strategies implemented as well as their strengths and weaknesses while also providing suggestions for other possible methods and strategies on how college health administrators can better create, implement, and evaluate programs aimed at reducing unhealthy and excessive alcohol usage.