COLLEGE STUDENT ALCOHOL USE: USING CURRENT RESEARCH TO GUIDE PRACTICE

Alcohol abuse has been described as the biggest health problem on college campuses today.This single statement illustrates the public health relevance of addressing college student alcohol use. College student alcohol use affects everyone on a college campus, not only the student who uses or abuses alcohol. The author of this paper is currently an employee of the University of Pittsburgh's Student Health Services. As a graduate student assistant, she has facilitated the Personal Education Assistance and Referral (PEAR) program to over 250 students. The goals of this paper are to provide an understanding of background information surrounding college student alcohol use, to critically examine three major reports and two ongoing studies and to specifically elaborate on the goals created by the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. This paper concludes with recommendations consisting of prevention and intervention strategies as well as environmental changes that are evidence-based