Campus-based efforts to reduce alcohol and other drug abuse and violence (AODV) will be more successful if they involve a wide range of stakeholders--including students--who can contribute to the program's design, implementation, and evaluation. Students provide a unique perspective on AODV prevention, and they can also bring a certain authority…

The environmental management approach to alcohol and other drug abuse and violence (AODV) prevention is based on the principle that college students' conduct can be shaped through concerted efforts to reengineer the environment that shapes their behavior. Constructing a campus, community, and state-level environment that will protect students and…

Objectives: This exploratory study examined pre-event drinking, or pregaming, by US college students. Participants: 112 undergraduates from 10 Pennsylvania colleges participated. Method: A focus group, including a written questionnaire, was conducted at each institution. Results: Only 35.7% of the participants had not pregamed during the last 2…

Student alcohol and other drug abuse and violence (AODV) still reign as the most serious social problems faced by U.S. institutions of higher education. To tackle these problems, campus administrators--working in conjunction with partners from the surrounding community--need to put in place an integrated set of strategies that address the mix of…

Objective: The authors examined the sociodemographics and psychobehavioral characteristics of undergraduate US college students who abstain from alcohol. Participants: The respondents were 5,210 undergraduates from 32 colleges and universities. Methods: A survey was mailed to 300 randomly selected students per institution (spring 2000 or 2001).…

The nation's institutions of higher education continue to face serious problems with respect to student alcohol and other drug abuse and violence (AODV). For campus administrators, deciding how to respond effectively means understanding and taking into account both the complexity of these social problems and the individuality of each campus…

Although any new undertaking is exciting because of the opportunities it may bring, the transition to college life also brings new pressures and uncertainties. From the shelter of home, young people emerge into a new culture, with a new environment for success. Here they are their own masters, often far from the vigilance of parents and the…

This publication is designed to guide presidents of community colleges and their administrative staff as they focus on alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse prevention. The first section reviews the challenges facing community colleges in reducing student substance use and the strengths the colleges draw on in addressing it. The second section…

Focus on the designated driver strategy by broadcasters and the alcohol industry deflects attention from other alcohol-related problems and the factors influencing underage alcohol consumption. Strategies should emphasize sobriety checkpoints, no sales to minors, advertising reform, and excise taxes on alcohol. (SK)

Project DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a substance use prevention education program designed to equip elementary school children with skills for resisting peer pressure to experiment with tobacco, drugs, and alcohol. This unique program, which was developed in 1983 as a cooperative effort by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los…

In response to ongoing concern about unacceptable levels of AOD (alcohol and other drug) use on campuses, in 1998 Congress authorized the Department of Education to identify and promote effective prevention through a model grants program. In 1999, OSDFS (Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools) launched an important component of the Department's…

This guide presents a comprehensive strategy, called "environmental management," for alcohol and other drug (AOD) prevention in institutions of higher education. The environmental management approach utilizes, in addition to educational programs, changes in the physical, social, economic, and legal environment accomplished through a…

A joint project of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Unified School District, Project DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is designed to equip elementary and junior high school children with the skills for resisting peer pressure to experiment with drugs and alcohol. The goal is to teach students how to say "no." A growing…

This guide for administrators provides a step-by-step process for establishing new or revised policies to deal with student misuse of alcohol and other drugs on college campuses. Emphasis is on a new doctrine of environmental management which stresses the school's responsibility to take measures against foreseeable hazards and risks in the school…

The guide presents concepts and approaches to prevention of alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse among college students, focusing on the role of faculty in prevention efforts. Sections discuss why faculty should get involved, the impact of AOD abuse on academic performance, the rationale for taking an environmental approach to prevention, helping…