Setting: The United Kingdom (UK) government has acknowledged that there is a problem with excess alcohol consumption, in particular amongst young people. Higher education is an important health promotion setting in which to explore not only how sensible drinking patterns can be facilitated and embedded in students' current lifestyles but also how…

College drinking and its adverse consequences on students' health and safety are important public health concerns in the USA. Thus far, there is little attention on exploring and addressing the cultural dimensions of college drinking. This study examines the construction of meaning of drinking among students to understand their perspectives of the…

Describes the development and implementation of Georgetown University's comprehensive and successful approach to student alcohol abuse, which involves five interrelated aims (e.g., defining the national problem in terms of the local community, finding an inclusive structure with purposeful operations to address the community problems, and…

Examined health behaviors in college students (n=20,721) collected over a 10-year period. Found gender differences and a negative relationship between alcohol and cigarette use. Found drinking was a frequent behavior among college students and more common among men than women. Cigarette smoking was more commonly reported by women than by men. (ABL)

Although zero tolerance policies are being enacted on campuses nationwide, they may not be the most effective means of creating safer and healthier environments for students. Many historical precedents illustrate the value of moderation over prohibition. College drug and alcohol policies should focus primarily on dysfunctional and disruptive…

Examines the health of young Native American males using data from a survey of existing literature, noting that studies of the current health status of healthy young Native American men are rare. The article presents information on accidents, suicide, homicide, cancer, heart disease, and alcohol use and abuse among young Native American males. (SM)

Social norms strategies in examining college health behavior have become popular and well-accepted. There is substantial variation in the understanding, application, and nature of social norms approaches. This paper introduces four articles on social norms research in college health that address: binge drinking prevalence; substance abuse…

Article represents a symposium that examined the problem of college drinking. Findings are presented and integrated from four longitudinal studies that involved nationally representative samples and single university samples. The primary goal was to better understand what motivates and inhibits risky drinking from a developmental perspective, and…

This study examined stages of drug habit acquisition and change among college students, basing the proposed stages of drug use on the Multi-Component Motivational Stages prevention model. Surveys indicated the model helped explain the stages of substance use. The proportion of youths at each stage differed by type of drug. (SM)

Reviews recent research on college students' substance abuse, discussing the nature and extent of substance use and examining the effect of demographics and personality, year in college, grade point average, residence, motivation, and attitudes. Suggestions for coping with problems of campus alcohol use are offered. (Author/SM)

Results from the 1995 National College Health Risk Behavior Survey, which monitored health risk behaviors among U.S. college undergraduates via mailed surveys, indicate that many students' behaviors increase their likelihood of experiencing adverse health outcomes. Particularly high risks for college students include alcohol abuse, tobacco use,…

Adolescents privately recorded open-ended descriptions of problematic social situations related to sex. Issues mentioned included birth control, pregnancy, condom use/nonuse, violence, alcohol use, and rape. Few mentioned concerns about sexually transmitted diseases. Subjects who included alcohol as a problem were more likely to describe a variety…

The U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention publishes "Catalyst," a newsletter covering current Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence (AODV) prevention issues at institutions of higher education. "Catalyst" discusses emerging issues and highlights…

Surveys undergraduate students (N=356) to determine factors that predict health-behavior change. AIDS risk was influenced by level of identity and self-confidence, perceived barriers to prevention, and self-efficacy. Alcohol abuse was influenced by perceptions of the severity and barriers, self-efficacy, and social influences. Nutritional…

Using telephone surveys, researchers examined the health behaviors of 1,408 Texas college students. Results indicated that most had consumed alcohol at least once, and nearly one-third were regular smokers. Most were sexually active but did not use condoms. Over half had never received HIV/AIDS education in college. (SM)