Center for College Health and Safety *
CCHS@edc.org
Cleveland, Ohio: Representatives from 33 states gathered today in Cleveland for the Statewide Initiatives Leadership Institute, an event sponsored by the Center for College Health and Safety and the U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention* to address how comprehensive regional efforts can curb college students’ underage and high-risk drinking.
Since 1996 the Higher Education Center* has worked to promote and sustain statewide and regional initiatives to support college alcohol and other drug prevention efforts. These initiatives feature the formation of campus and community coalitions that focus on changing the broader environmental conditions that encourage student substance use. The first statewide initiative was developed in Ohio, under the leadership of Ohio Parents for Drug Free Youth, and has been a remarkable success.
"The Ohio Initiative began with a commitment of 19 colleges and universities, and now boasts a membership of 41 four-year institutions," states Patricia Harmon, director of Ohio Parents for Drug Free Youth. "Realizing that student drinking is not a problem of colleges alone, but of the entire community, we have been able to forge relationships with local community groups and state agencies to effectively address this issue."
Institute participants come from state government substance abuse offices and alcoholic beverage control agencies, colleges and universities, and state coalitions working to reduce underage drinking. The purpose of the institute is to increase the effectiveness of existing statewide college alcohol and other drug prevention initiatives and to encourage the creation of new initiatives in states that are ready to implement this promising approach. In addition to helping to develop statewide initiatives, the Higher Education Center provides training and evaluation services to regional efforts once they are under way.
"Statewide college alcohol and other drug prevention initiatives have dramatically expanded the reach and effectiveness of campus-based prevention efforts," states William DeJong, director of the Higher Education Center. "Our experience shows that prevention efforts are more successful when campus administrators work hand-in-hand with local and state government officials and community leaders to limit alcohol sales to underage youth and eliminate irresponsible marketing practices by local bars, restaurants, and liquor outlets. We are hoping that other states can repeat the success we have witnessed here in Ohio."
The Ohio Initiative is a project of Ohio Parents for Drug Free Youth and includes 41 four-year colleges and universities. Primary funding comes from the Ohio
Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services and the U.S. Department of Education, with additional support from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services.
The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention serves as the national resource center for institutions of higher education concerned with reducing alcohol and other drug use. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, with supplemental funding from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Center offers training, technical assistance, publications, and other information to assist those who want to take an active part in changing the environment in which students make decisions about alcohol and other drug use. The Higher Education Center is based at Education Development Center, Inc., an internationally known educational research and development organization located in Newton, Massachusetts.
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