International Journal of Drug Policy
Volume 17, Issue 4 , Pages 339-349, July 2006

Use of policy, education, and enforcement to reduce binge drinking among university students: The NU Directions project

  • Ian M. Newman

      Affiliations

    • Department of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, P.O. Box 880345, Lincoln, NE 68588-0345, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +1 402 472 3844.
    • ,
  • Duane F. Shell

      Affiliations

    • Department of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, P.O. Box 880345, Lincoln, NE 68588-0345, USA
    • ,
  • Linda J. Major

      Affiliations

    • The Office of Student Involvement, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, P.O. Box 880345, Lincoln, NE 68588-0345, USA
    • ,
  • Thomas A. Workman

      Affiliations

    • The Office of Student Involvement, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, P.O. Box 880345, Lincoln, NE 68588-0345, USA

Received 11 October 2005; received in revised form 16 December 2005; accepted 6 January 2006.

Abstract 

This paper describes a programme, conducted over a 5-year period, that effectively reduced heavy drinking and alcohol-related harms among university students. The programme was organised around strategies to change the environment in which binge drinking occurred and involved input and cooperation from officials and students of the university, representatives from the city and the neighbourhood near the university, law enforcement, as well as public health and medical officials. In 1997, 62.5% of the university's approximately 16,000 undergraduate student population reported binge drinking. This rate had dropped to 47% in 2003. Similar reductions were found in both self-reported primary and secondary harms related to alcohol consumption.

Keywords: College drinking, Young adults, Intervention programmes, Environmental management strategies, United States

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PII: S0955-3959(06)00097-1

doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2006.01.005

International Journal of Drug Policy
Volume 17, Issue 4 , Pages 339-349, July 2006

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