Young people at university are more likely to consume alcohol at harmful levels than their same-age peers who are not at university, and harmful alcohol use affects many aspects of campus life. This study aimed to investigate alcohol use and alcohol-related harms, both experienced and witnessed, among students at an Australian university. An…

This paper reports the results of a small qualitative pilot study on the role of alcohol in college life, undertaken at three residential colleges at an Australian university. Focus groups (involving 43 students aged between 17 and 23 years) investigated participants' views of the social functions of alcohol in the residential college environment.…

The social norms approach to health promotion has become remarkably popular in the last 20 years, particularly in the American college system. It is an alternative to traditional fear-based approaches of health education, which a growing body of research demonstrates is often ineffective in reducing alcohol and drug misuse. The social norms…

School connectedness is central to the long term well-being of adolescents, and high quality parent-child relationships facilitate school connectedness. This study examined the extent to which family relationship quality is associated with the school connectedness of pre- and early teenagers, and how this association varies with adolescent…

This international comparative study addresses differences between adolescents who engage in deliberate self-harm (DSH) and who receive help following the DSH episode versus those who do not. A standardized self-report questionnaire was completed by pupils aged 14-17 in Australia, Belgium, England, Hungary, Ireland, The Netherlands, and Norway (n…

Relatively little research has been conducted on the relationship between alcohol misuse and suicidal behavior among the elderly. The current study's aim was to examine whether quantity and frequency of alcohol use and the interaction between these variables are related to current suicidal ideation, previous suicidal ideation/intent, and past…

To examine the effectiveness of vocational education and training qualifications as a workforce development strategy in the community services and health industries, a case study was undertaken of the alcohol and other drug sector. The project comprised of two parts: (1) An online survey to gain an understanding of employer's perceptions of and…

This document was produced by the authors, based on their research for the report "The Role of VET in Alcohol and Other Drugs Workforce Development", and is an added resource for further information. "The Role of VET in Alcohol and Other Drugs Workforce Development" uncovers concerns managers have around the training content,…

The Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia has identified attracting and recruiting staff as a problem area for the sector. An obvious strategy is to recruit people from a broad range of backgrounds, and then provide specific industry training. The vocational education and training (VET) sector is well placed to provide this training. The…

How differences in drinking patterns may affect the impact of alcohol consumption on deliberate self-harm among adolescents is explored in this international comparative study. Schools in Australia, Belgium, England, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway (N = 30,532) were surveyed. In all countries the risk of deliberate self-harm was…

This paper outlines early findings from the Tasmanian-based Social Norms Analysis Project (SNAP). The Social Norms model is presented as a theoretically informed, evidence-based model for reducing alcohol-related harm in youthful populations by utilising the complex and often positive contributions peer groups make to adolescent health and…

Discursive psychology was used as a means of increasing our understanding of the way young people may talk about volume of consumption in relation to their drinking behaviour. Analysis of the audio recording and transcript of a pilot focus group discussion with four young people revealed that participants employed varying constructions of volume…

This article compares prevalence estimates of substance use and delinquent behavior in Washington State, United States and Victoria, Australia, two states chosen for their different policy environments around problem behavior. Few comparisons of international differences on rates of multiple problem behavior exist, and most are based on methods…

Reports on the impact of a "drink driving education program" taught to tenth-grade students. The program, which involved twelve lessons, used strategies based on the Ajzen and Madden theory of planned behavior. Students (N=1,774) were trained to use alternatives to drinking and driving and to use safer passenger behaviors, and were…

This paper begins by noting that recent efforts in the United States to reduce the incidence of alcohol-impaired driving have not been very effective and suggests that for efforts to be effective, they must raise the actual risk of punishment to a level that cannot be ignored by potential offenders. It then describes an effective system of…