Insights for Prevention Campaigns: The Power of Drinking Rituals in the College Student Experience From Freshman to Senior Year

ABSTRACT

Using a ritual behavior model and in-depth interviews, this qualitative study examined the role of alcohol in the lives of college students as they transitioned from freshmen to senior year. Key differences in the drinking ritual emerged across the four years, and insights were noted in students' use of alcohol to form a community of friends, to find order in their lives, and to transition from ill-at-ease adolescents to confident adults. A key campaign strategy emerged based on students' desire to avoid being the one who drinks the most or the one who drinks the least.