College Drinking

The Penn State Live website this week reported on new “early intervention” research conducted by their own scholars that may help students from becoming binge drinkers.

College students who post references to getting drunk, blacking out, or other aspects of dangerous drinking on social networking sites are more likely to have clinically significant alcohol problems than students who do not post such references, according to a study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

New research from Northwestern University Medicine shows that 50 percent of college drinkers report at least one alcohol-induced memory blackout in the past year during a drinking binge. Despite being fully conscious during such blackouts, students could not recall specific events, such as how they got to a bar, party or their own front door.

“Everyone else is doing it.” At least that is what many youth and young adults believe when they engage in risky behaviors including substance abuse practices, particularly when they live in college communities.

 

In an effort to curb the high rates of alcohol use on college campuses, 14 national colleges and universities have launched an initiative entitled, the Learning Collaborative on High-Risk Drinking. The initiative was created by Dartmouth University to address alcohol use and the 40 percent of college students who binge drink.

CADCA applauds Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) for introducing the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act Reauthorization, legislation designed to prevent underage drinking, which contributes to the four leading causes of deaths among 15 to 20-year-olds. The reauthorization, introduced last week, builds upon the success of the original STOP ACT, which was passed by Congress in 2006.

Three out of four youth say their parents are the No. 1 influence on their decisions about drinking. To encourage discussions about alcohol use between parents and youth, Mothers Against Drunk Driving has launched PowerTalk 21 day, which will be observed on April 21. It's the first national day for parents and teens to start a conversation about alcohol. Tips on how to do it and what you might say are in a free handout and handbook.

Today's college freshmen are drinking less than previous freshmen classes, according to a new report by Outside the Classroom, a provider of student alcohol-prevention research and programs such as AlcoholEdu.

By bringing together key on-campus and off-campus sector representatives, invested individual stakeholders, and other organizations affected by the problem, coalitions can implement a comprehensive set of strategies to change conditions in the community that contribute to local substance abuse problems. Campus-community coalitions act as change agents by leveraging shared resources to bring about new or modified programs, policies and practices.

Medical News Today reports that college students who plan their drinking activities are less likely to engage in risky spring break behavior, according to a new University of Michigan study.