for one college social event reduced binge drinking campus wide. ... Specific Prevention: Addressing College Student Drinking during Known Windows of Risk.
Barnett, N. P., Gresh, R., Klawunn, M., & Mantak, F. (November, 2007). Focused strategies for one college social event reduced binge drinking campus wide. In S. Walters (Chair) EventSpecific Prevention: Addressing College Student Drinking during Known Windows of Risk. Symposium presented at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, DC. Environmental strategies are recommended for reducing heavy drinking among college students, but there is little empirical evidence that a specific set of strategies reduces risky behavior on any particular night. Objective: Implement a set of targeted strategies to reduce heavy drinking during one specific social event that had a history of precipitating a high number of alcohol-related intoxication cases on one New England campus. Method: Strategies included modified ticket sales, party management, and advertising, and greater monitoring in residences to prevent “pre-gaming”. Alcohol use on the night of the event was measured in a randomly selected sample of freshmen and sophomores (N = 163 in 2005; N=199 in 2006). Results: The proportion of freshmen and sophomores who reported drinking on the night of the party did not change from 2005 to 2006 (40.0% vs. 39.2%, χ2(1) = 0.88, ns), but the proportion of students who drank heavily reduced significantly (29.3% vs. 20.1%, χ2(1) = 3.99, p < .05, ES = .22). The reduction was greater among first-year students (34.3% in 2005 vs. 21.3% in 2006, ES = .29; a 38% reduction). No significant differences were found in past-week alcohol consequences. Conclusions: The findings reflect a 32% reduction in heavy drinking prevalence on a night that historically had a high number of alcohol-related incidents. The reductions were noted in a campus wide representative sample of students, reflecting a broad impact of the prevention strategies on the campus at large, not just among party attendees.
