Institutions of higher learning are taking responsibility for and becoming part of the societal effort to combat alcohol/drug problems. There are a number of national and state efforts which specifically target higher education for prevention, education, intervention, treatment, and referral efforts. Considerable efforts are currently underway to…

A hearing was held to explore the problem of binge drinking on campus and to consider possible responses to this problem. Following an opening statement by Senator Joseph Lieberman, a panel of witness who have done research and work in the field gave testimony. These witnesses commented on the problem of binge drinking: (1) Raynard S. Kingston,…

College students are engaging in a form of destructive behavior known as binge drinking. The Harvard University College Alcohol Study defines binge drinking as consuming five or more drinks in a row for males and four or more drinks in a row for females. This Join Together packet provides tips, and resources to help professionals undertake…

Examines the first 14 books of the "Sweet Valley University" series. Finds that the storylines on sex send conflicting messages that make readers believe that premarital sex is not an important issue. Notes that date rape and a brief look at racism and alcohol abuse are the only serious topics addressed. (RS)

Examines the relationship between prior alcohol use in 121 freshmen and their fraternity-pledging decisions. Matriculating males with a history of high alcohol consumption pledged fraternities in significantly greater proportions than those in medium- and low-consumption categories. Findings support the view that instead of causing heavy drinking,…

Examines the incidence of driving under the influence (DUI) one year prior to, and one year following the partial lifting of a complete Sunday sales ban on alcohol. Data did not reveal a statistically significant increase in DUIs. Results suggest that limited alcohol consumption does not increase alcohol-impaired driving. (RJM)

Explores the relationship between alcohol-induced blackouts and alcohol expectancies in 123 college students. Found significant correlations between students' alcohol expectancies, level of alcohol abuse, and blackout history. Students who experienced blackouts had higher positive alcohol expectancies than those without blackouts. Other findings…

Reviews recent court decisions revealing that, despite factual and jurisdictional differences, fraternities and institutions of higher education face increasing exposure to civil liability for accidental injuries, especially when alcohol is served to minors or intoxicated persons. (Author)

Tested whether low levels of family differentiation and identity are associated with increased alcohol abuse. Administered questionnaire to college students (N=133) aged 17-24 years. Found females with less well-differentiated, reciprocal mother-daughter relationships and poorer sense of identity had more drinking problems, while results for males…

Investigated relationship between background characteristics of fraternity pledges (N=108) and alcohol consumption during first month of pledgeship. Found heavier alcohol consumption strongly correlated with positive view of its socialization value and with prior incidences of problems associated with alcohol use. Found lesser relationship between…

Examined relationship between student residence (on-campus university housing, on-campus fraternity/sorority housing, off-campus nonuniversity housing) and alcohol use by investigating how drinking patterns and irresponsible acts related to drinking vary with gender and with housing arrangement. Results from 1,097 college students revealed that…

Profiles two women over an eight-month study who abused alcohol and other drugs while pregnant and describes their recovery from the addiction. Examines, from an ecological framework, the women's experiences with drug addiction, treatment, and recovery, and recounts their situation through each. (JPS)

This study sought to identify differences between 100 randomly selected Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) and nonACOAs attending a black university. The ACOAs reported significantly more drinking problems and less healthy family environments and social support than nonACOAs, but no difference in mastery of developmental tasks like autonomy,…

Examines the role of mood in precipitating relapses among alcohol-dependent participants from both a retrospective and predictive point of view. Support was found for a relationship between negative bias and the amount of negative mood assessed at the time the report was given. As previously found, the most frequent precipitant of relapses and…

Examined differences in alcohol use between one university's commuting students (n=99) who lived at home with their parents and residential students (n=212). Found that resident students exhibited greater frequencies of alcohol use and abuse than did commuters as a function of both precollege factors and involvement in traditional college life.…