CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. An Introduction to Environmental Strategies
2. Types of Environmental Approaches
3. Putting Environmental Strategies To Work

Supplements
References
Resources

Environmental Strategies for Prevention
A Guide To Helping the Prevention Professional Work Effectively in the Community

Alcohol Use on College Campuses

College campuses are one of the most common settings for underage drinking and the heavy episodic use of alcohol. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 40 percent of college students binge drink. ref

Under the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act and Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Regulations, any institution of higher education receiving Federal assistance must certify that it has a prevention program on alcohol and other drugs for students and employees. In addition to this law, in 1998, Congress passed the College Initiative To Reduce Binge Drinking and Illegal Alcohol Consumption. The law recommends that college administrators take steps to maintain a safe and drug-free campus. ref

To help colleges and universities comply with these directives, the Federal government and many nongovernmental organizations have major initiatives to address alcohol use among college students. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has developed a Task Force on College Drinking that has produced numerous major reports and policy recommendations, including A Call to Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges and How To Reduce High-Risk College Drinking: Use Proven Strategies, Fill Research Gaps.

The U.S. Department of Justice is administrating another program to assist States and local jurisdictions in their efforts to reduce underage drinking. Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws: A Compendium of Resources includes information to help jurisdictions maximize the impact of the Federal initiative.

Another initiative is the U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention, which has extensive materials to help universities and colleges adapt an environmental approach toward prevention of alcohol and substance use.