Prevention experts share successes at national conference
Experts from the Center for Alcohol and other Substance Abuse Prevention (CADAP) and School of Public Health and Health Sciences this week shared the campus’ experiences and successes during a national conference in San Diego.
In a presentation to national conference of the California Council on Alcohol Policy, held Jan. 27–30, CADAP director Sally A. Linowski, BASICS Project director Diane Fedorchak and BASICS Project evaluator Gloria T. DiFulvio discussed the campus’ alcohol and drug abuse prevention initiatives. Their program was titled “Integrating Individual and Environmental Approaches to Prevention.”
The conference attracts top practitioners, public officials and researchers from across North America. The event is the 14th in an ongoing series focusing on using public policy strategies to avoid alcohol-related problems.
Based in the Health Education Department at University Health Services, CADAP brings together a variety of evidence-based prevention initiatives, including:
• BASICS, a program that helps students examine their alcohol and drug use and reduce risky behaviors;
• MyStudentBody, a mandatory online alcohol education course for new students;
• The Athletic Health Enhancement Program, designed for the unique needs of student athletes; and the Campus and Community Coalition to Reduce High-Risk Drinking.
Efforts targeting high-risk drinking at the individual, campus and community levels are showing positive results, say the researchers. Research on campus shows that since 2003, frequent heavy episodic drinking (binge drinking three or more times over a two-week period) among students has decreased 38 percent; the overall heavy episodic drinking rate is down 26 percent; while the rate among underage students declined 14 percent.
Linowski, a researcher and educator, is director of UHS’ Health Education, Community Outreach and Marketing Department. Fedorchak is a health educator specializing in alcohol and other drug abuse prevention; DiFulvio is a research assistant professor in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences. The team’s expertise and insights are in high demand nationally; they have presented recently to groups including the U.S. Department of Education; the American College Health Association; the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators; and the joint scientific conference of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism, as well as campus and community audiences.
January 29, 2008.
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