This field study examined whether participants of a traditional, end-of-semester pub crawl in a college campus community had higher levels of intoxication than non-participating bar patrons on the same night as the event. A total of 693 bar patrons participated in the study. Anonymous interview and breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) data were collected from pedestrians in a bar district at the end point of the pub crawl route between 10:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. on the night of the event during three different semesters (November, 2007, May, 2008, and May, 2009). A multivariate model adjusting for participant demographics and drinking variables showed that participation in the pub crawl was associated with a 70% reduced risk of being highly intoxicated (i.e., BrAC ≥ 0.08 g/210 L). The lower intoxication levels among pub crawl participants may have implications for harm reduction practices at high-risk drinking events. These implications are discussed.

Background: The alcohol consumption associated with college sporting events depicts a public health challenge. Purpose: The aim of this investigation involved assessing the alcohol expectancies among college students associated with home football games and which of these expectancies was most predictive of high-risk drinking. Methods: Researchers employed a cross-sectional study design, collecting data via an electronic survey the Monday after the final home football game of the season from a group of randomly selected college students. Results: An exploratory factor analysis revealed four expectancies were associated with alcohol use on game day: Rowdy Fan, Fun, Social Confidence and Sexual Opportunity. The Rowdy Fan construct was the most predictive of alcohol use on game day; whereas, the Sexual Opportunity expectancy was not statistically significant. Discussion: The results from this study indicate college students are motivated to drink on game day to root for their team, have fun, and to enhance their social confidence. Translation to Health Education Practice: Alcohol expectancies are common; however, people drinking alcohol to enhance their rowdiness to cheer for their team constitutes a unique expectancy which public health and school officials must address. Health communication and media literacy campaigns may help remedy entrenched alcohol expectancies.

Background: Excessive alcohol consumption by underage students is a serious and persistent problem facing most U.S. colleges and universities. Purpose: This qualitative study explores why underage students engage in high-risk drinking and examines motivational cues that may serve as behavioral deterrents. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with college students under the age of 21 years (N=59) attending a large university in the southeast. All participants reported consuming five or more drinks in one sitting within the last two weeks (four or more for a female). Results: Participants attach positive expectancies to alcohol use, including peer influence/support and reduction of social anxiety. Negative social consequences such as embarrassment and relationship issues, including perceived sexual opportunities, were cited as disincentives for excessive drinking. Gender distinctions were present among the referenced costs and benefits of excessive alcohol consumption. Discussion: Overall, the negative consequences associated with excess drinking by underage college students are outweighed by positive expectancies such as social approval and acceptance by their peers. Translation to Health Education Practice: Understanding the language, motives and expectancies young people attach to alcohol use can enhance the efficacy of health education and prevention efforts.

Background: Excessive alcohol consumption by underage students is a serious and persistent problem facing most U.S. colleges and universities. Purpose: This qualitative study explores why underage students engage in high- risk drinking and examines motivational cues that may serve as behavioral deterrents. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with college students under the age of 21 years (N= 59) attending a large university in the southeast. All participants reported consuming five or more drinks in one sitting within the last two weeks (four or more for a female). Results: Participants attach positive expectancies to alcohol use, including peer influence/support and reduction of social anxiety. Negative social consequences such as embarrassment and relationship issues, including perceived sexual opportunities, were cited as disincentives for excessive drinking. Gender distinctions were present among the referenced costs and benefits of excessive alcohol consumption. Discussion: Overall, the negative consequences associated with excess drinking by underage college students are outweighed by positive expectancies such as social approval and acceptance by their peers. Translation to Health Education Practice: Understanding the language, motives and expectancies young people attach to alcohol use can enhance the efficacy of health education and prevention efforts.

Background: Celebratory drinking among college students on their 21st birthday often involves dangerous levels of alcohol consumption. Purpose: This study utilized an experimental design to assess the efficacy of social norm and risk reduction strategies developed to reduce high-risk drinking and alcohol related consequences among college students on their 21st birthday. Methods: Students were randomly assigned to one of four cohorts including a control group, a social norms group, a risk reduction group and a combination of both social norms and risk reduction. Each group received an electronic birthday card with intervention specific information. Students were sent an electronic survey three days after their birthday to assess alcohol consumption levels and related behaviors (n=702). Results: No significant differences existed among the four cohorts in students' drinking behavior, negative consequences, or protective behaviors employed. Discussion: This inquiry revealed that social norm, risk reduction messages or combination of the two strategies, delivered electronically, failed to influence celebratory drinking patterns. Translation to Health Education Practice: Interventions addressing 21st birthday celebrations may need to extend beyond targeting the individual to yield significant behavioral changes.

This study assessed the extent to which the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) correctly predicted college student's motivation to consume alcohol on game day based on alcohol consumption rates. Three cohorts of 1,000 participants each (N = 3,000) were randomly selected and invited to complete an anonymous web-based survey the Monday following one of three designated college home football games. Path analyses were conducted to determine which of the TPB constructs were most effective in predicting Behavioral Intention and alcohol consumption among social, high-risk, and extreme drinkers. Social drinkers, high-risk, and those drinkers who engage in Extreme Ritualistic Alcohol Consumption (ERAC) were defined as males who consumed 1-4, 5-9, or 10 or more drinks on game day (1-3, 4-8, or nine or more drinks for females), respectively. Attitude Towards the Behavior and Subjective Norm constructs predicted participant's intentions to consume alcohol and corresponding behavior among all three classifications of drinkers; whereas the Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) construct inconsistently predicted intention and alcohol consumption. Based on Behavioral Intention, the proportion of variance the TPB model explained decreased as participants alcohol consumption increased. It appears that the TPB constructs Attitude Toward the Behavior and Subjective Norm can effectively be utilized when designing universal prevention interventions targeting game day alcohol consumption among college students. However, the applicability of the PBC construct remains in question. While select constructs in the TPB appear to have predictive ability, the usefulness of the complete theoretical framework is limited when trying to predict high-risk drinking and ERAC. These findings suggest that other behavioral theories should be considered when addressing the needs of high-risk and extreme drinkers.

ABSTRACT This study examined high-risk drinking among college students the night of the 2006 National College Football Championship game. Study findings show that while nearly 50% of students reported drinking the night of the National Championship Game, less than one third of students engaged in high-risk drinking. Students watching the game at on-campus alcohol free venues were three and half times less likely to engage in high-risk drinking than students viewing the game in other venues. Advance planning of prevention efforts, such as the police patrolled and barricaded celebration zone, can serve as a model to aid other campuses to prepare for celebratory events with minimal negative consequences for individuals, schools, and surrounding communities. ********** Excessive alcohol consumption is a serious health issue for colleges and universities across the country (Waiters, Bennett, & Noto, 2000). While college students have a slightly lower daily drinking rate than their non-college peers, previous studies indicate that college students are more likely to confine drinking to weekends or special occasions when they engage in high-risk drinking (Johnston, O'Malley, Bachman, & S chulenberg, 2006). High-risk drinking is defined as the consumption of five or more drinks on one occasion in the past two weeks (Presley & Pimentel, 2005). According to the 2006 Monitoring the Future survey, approximately 40% of college students report engaging in high-risk drinking (Johnston et al., 2006). Previous studies have shown that high-risk drinking may result in serious negative consequences for college students including, unintentional injuries, risky sexual behavior, violence, academic difficulties, and trouble with the law (Berkowitz & Perkins, 1986; Naimi, Brewer, Mokdad, Denny, Serdula, & Marks, 2003). However, the consequences of college students are not limited to the drinkers themselves. Community residents living near schools whose students drink heavily experience higher rates of noise disruptions, public drunkenness, crime, property damage, and police visits (Wechsler, Lee, Hall, Wagenaar, & Lee, 2002). For these reasons, the practice of high-risk drinking has been described as the most serious health problem facing U.S. colleges and universities (Douglas & Collins, 1997). A particular area of concern regarding high-risk drinking on college campuses involves college football games, also known as Day. Unfortunately, little research exists on the game day drinking behaviors of college students. A 2002 study completed by Nelson and Wechsler found that among college students, sports fans are less likely to abstain from alcohol and are more likely to drink excessively than non-sports fans (Nelson & Wechsler, 2002). Schools where a high percentage of students have a strong interest in sports are more likely to experience high rates of high-risk drinking than schools where fewer students are interested in sports (Nelson & Wechsler, 2002). Moreover, results from a Game Day Survey administered in 2004 revealed that, when compared to the time they partied or socialized, college students drink significantly more on game day (Glassman, Werch, Jobli, & Bian, 2007). Neal and colleagues completed a study at Syracuse University when the school competed for the 2003 NCAA National Basketball Championship. Researchers found that on the night of the championship game, more than eight times as many students consumed alcohol than would have under normal circumstances (Neal, Sugarman, Hustad, Caska, & Carey, 2005). These findings suggest that major sporting events, such as National Championship Games are inherently risky, especially given the strong emotions and increased drinking that occurs. As a result, campuses need to develop specific prevention efforts, including the implementation of risk reduction strategies, to reduce the negative consequences associated with major sporting events such as a National Championship Game. …