Speakup! Prevention Coalition Speaker on Alcohol Prevention on College Campuses

Coalition Meeting 4/6/2014

Attendance: Glenn Burmeister, Steve Creighton, Khris Condon, Deborahanne Reimer, Sean Welsh, Joy Markee, Craig Lepkowski, Terry Ann Nissly, Tracy Baade, Lynn Gaffigan, Julie Abdallah, Laura Kosmerl, Steve Reimer, Dana Spelman, Monika Toczycki

SpeakUp! Prevention Coalition speaker on Alcohol Prevention on College Campuses

Sean Welsh from the Psychology department at Lake Forest College spoke about what colleges are doing to prevent underage alcohol consumption as well as reducing overall consumption on college campuses. Sean is a Wellness Coordinator and has been involved in alcohol prevention strategies for a couple of years. He discussed prevention strategies which colleges are using across the country.

Alcohol prevention needs to be coordinated among all the college departments. At the Lake Forest College the Alcohol and Other Drug Committee reports to the Dean of Students, with representation by all of the departments. In the past this department advised on policies, now it is focusing on prevention and education.

Everfii: The Alcohol Prevention Coalition, provides education technology and consulting based on a college’s specific data. They developed Alcohol Edu, an online education program, which is a requirement for all incoming freshmen. Everfi utilizes a systems approach to alcohol prevention strategies from colleges across the country. Individualized consultation considers specific data based on students responses and the campus environment. Data is collected from students at the beginning of the year and then in the fall time – about 8 weeks into the semester to measure new students changes in perceptions and attitudes.

Question posed by audience member – Do sports reduce an individual’s alcohol consumption? No, in general it is more prevalent, especially in team sports. The coach and the team culture highly influence athlete behavior. Working with coaches is a first step in encouraging underage athletes to behave responsibly. The colleges do random drug testing on athletes.

Basic Alcohol and Drug Policies:

 Underage possession and consumption is prohibited.

 Students over 21 can only drink in their private rooms.

 The student center sells alcohol at designated times.  Kegs, drinking games, and paraphernalia are prohibited.

 Use and possession of illegal substances is prohibited.

 A policy addressing medical marijuana is in development.

 Emergency amnesty policy – students are granted amnesty for reporting when emergency help is required. Encourages getting help sooner for student in trouble.

Question posed by audience member – What are warning signs that parents need to be aware of?

Parents are not notified when a student is written up for underage drinking or counseling because of privacy laws. The student needs to sign a waiver to allow a parent to be notified. Parents are notified when issues go beyond what the college can help with. Parents are notified when a student is sent to the hospital or their safety is endangered.

The college has taken a step to reduce younger student’s consumption by moving older student housing away from the younger students.

Alcohol Assessment Basics performed by LFC:

 Brief alcohol screening and intervention for college students.

 Harm reduction and motivational interviewing.

 Non-judgmental exploration of AOD use.

 Consideration of expected outcomes of use.

 Identification of adverse outcomes of use.

 Identification of changes that can reduce harmful effects of use.

 Students that are at a higher risk are referred out for specialized treatment. (NICASSA)

 Next step is to go outside of the college, if the above doesn't work.

The purpose of the assessment is for the student to get in touch with why they are drinking – is it to form a social connection, an escape, or some other reason. The hope is that once they realize why they are drinking they will deal with the underlying cause and change their behavior.

Question posed by audience member- What is binge drinking?

Binge drinking is 5 or more drinks for men and 4 or more for women. Problematic drinking is 10 or more for men and 8 or more for women. Once under the influence a student’s impaired judgment can snowball. Question posed by audience member – Is a decline in grades common when drinking becomes a problem?

Academics can definitely be affected. Seldom is alcohol alone a major factor, it is usually a symptom of some other problem.

Question posed by audience member – Is depression commonly seen on campus?

Yes, clinical depression as well as milder depression is often seen on campus. Many students experience anxiety and depression.

Question posed by audience member – Has there been an increase in marijuana use?

The usage of marijuana is increasing, but is still small compared with alcohol. Most usage still continues to be alcohol.

The AOD Committee’s vision at LFC is provide leadership in helping students understand safe and legal alcohol use, empowering students to take responsibility.

Sean discussed “The College Effect” chart which showed student drinking behavior both during the summer before college and once starting school in schools that had prevention strategies in place and those that did not. The schools that have prevention strategies see a much slower acceleration of alcohol usage, than those without prevention strategies. What appears to be mitigating the college effect (increased use of alcohol in students), is evidence based education and prevention efforts including Alcohol Edu.

LFC provides Alcohol Edu and Haven for students. Alcohol Edu is an alcohol prevention course and Haven is a sexual assault prevention program. All students are required to take the prevention courses. As part of Alcohol Edu student’s pre-course and post-course intentions are measured. Intentions are predictive of future behavior. Students were asked to form intentions about:

 Setting a limit on number of drinks.

 Avoiding drinking games.

 Pacing drinks.

 Considering alternative drink types (non-alcoholic).

 Reducing frequency of drinking.

 Reducing the number of drinks.

Sean discussed Red Watch Band Training as a prevention strategy. It is a program about being safe, and looking out for others.

 Bystander intervention training consists of: o Review of some alcohol education basics.

o Dispel some myths about what helps.

o Signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning.

o What to do in an emergency.

 It is a targeted training of RAs and student leaders.

Another prevention strategy utilized at LFC is the Social Norms Marketing Campaign. It is a marketing campaign promoting healthy norms for the majority of students on campus. It utilizes campus specific data collected through Alcohol Edu. It highlights responsible alcohol use and abstaining as norms in the community. Current data is that 4.4 drinks/week for students that do drink, and 69% of students choose not to drink.

Mohr at Midnight is a prevention strategy that provides alcohol-free programming in the Mohr Student Center. The program includes live music, themed parties, comedy, laser tag, magicians, and ghost hunter. An activity is scheduled for most weekends, at a considerable cost to the college to attract students. This program was a direct result of student feedback. It has had growing success as the culture of drinking continues to shift.

Question posed by audience member – How do you get an idea of what the culture is like on a college campus?

Start by doing a Google search of party schools and the college’s name, call the local police department and get statistics. Check whether the college has a department for prevention strategies and a dedicated staff to deal with underage drinking and drug use. There has to be a group effort between counselors, faculty and staff to be successful. Look at the college’s underage drinking prevention strategies – see Everfi’s Prevention Strategies chart on SpeakUp! Web site.

The Jeanne Cleary Act requires colleges and universities across the United States to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses. Parents and students can request a copy of the college’s reports.