A Survey of Substance Abuse Prevention Efforts at Virginia's Colleges and Universities

Abstract

The extremes of college student substance use and the negative consequences students face as a result of such use are of great public health concern. Although a multitude of campusbased substance abuse prevention efforts have appeared in literature, a clear picture of the programs and policies currently in use at colleges and universities is not readily available. This research was undertaken to detail both the efforts aimed at general student samples and those targeting at-risk (eg, Greeks, student athletes) and historically underserved (eg, ethnic minorities, students with disabilities) student groups at colleges and universities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. While a variety of efforts were being made, there was a reliance on program orientations with limited scientific support. Four-year institutions used a wider array of outlets for their prevention messages. Targeted programs for at-risk groups were common but were largely unavailable specifically for ethnic minority students and students with disabilities.

Keywords:

• alcohol
• college students
• drugs
• prevention
• substance abuse