How To Reduce High-Risk College Drinking: Use Proven Strategies, Fill Research Gaps

Identifying Research-Based Opportunities for Progress

In reviewing the literature to develop this report, the Panel found a significant number of individual- and group-focused, environmental, comprehensive college-community, and program implementation strategies that college presidents and administrators could use confidently today. Many of them require no new resources and only modest costs.

The Panel also identified a number of gaps in both information and the research infrastructure. Lack of information about what works has been a major obstacle to progress. On the research side, high-quality work has addressed relatively few of the issues that concern college administrators, and results have not been widely disseminated. On the institutional side, campus alcohol efforts are rarely subject to rigorous evaluation. This has hindered the effectiveness of individual campus efforts and limited the knowledge available from which to learn.

This report is designed to help colleges and universities and researchers apply the knowledge that currently exists and to advance understanding about effective strategies for intervening with alcohol problems on campus. It provides background on the theoretical framework of college drinking interventions and the current state of practice today. It offers recommendations to colleges and universities about steps to take now and synthesizes the research that led to these recommendations. A section on key research gaps identifies the most salient research questions that alcohol investigators need to address. Appendix 1 lists additional research recommendations as well as the Panel’s recommendations to NIAAA and other organizations interested in supporting alcohol research.
 

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Historical document
Last reviewed: 9/23/2005