Recorded presentation

Robert F. Saltz, PhD, Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation, 1995 University Av., Suite 450, Berkeley, CA 94704, 510.883.5733, saltz@prev.org

Despite recent research supporting comprehensive community prevention strategies, there has been relatively less done in the way of policy-oriented approaches to prevention on college campuses, despite powerful appeals to do so. Among the likely reasons for this state of affairs is that college administrations and staff act very cautiously with respect to adopting new alcohol policies because of a general belief that such policies are held in very low favor among the students themselves. The sense that most alcohol policies will be met with universal opposition is largely unexamined, however, and is entirely possible that student attitudes regarding alcohol polices are worthy of investigation in themselves.

The data reported here were collected via a mailed survey of a random sample of undergraduate students from the University of California. A 32-page questionnaire included a set of twenty alcohol problem prevention policies that were described as among those some college campuses have adopted or are thinking of adopting. Data were collected from 1648 students, with the sample comprising 33% Asians, 30% Whites, 14% Multi-ethnic, 11% Hispanics, 5% African-Americans, and 6% Other.

In all cases, the students’ approval is higher than their perception of their peers’ level of approval, particularly in the “enforcement” policies. What we found was a universal tendency to underestimate support for prevention policies, particularly those with some “teeth” to them. These findings are then incorporated into a model of community or organizational change that incorporates perceived efficacy of policies along with other hypothesized requirements for successful prevention efforts.

Learning Objectives:

• Audience will gain an appreciation of how approval or disapproval of policy options may be incorrect. Implications for successful alcohol prevention policies are discussed.

Keywords: Policy/Policy Development, Alcohol Problems

Related Web page: www.prev.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Prevention Research Center / Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation