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Binge Drinking & Underage Drinking | News | Project Statement | preliminary studies | Future Project
Annual Alcohol Awareness Month 2005
Alcohol Awareness Month sponsored by The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), is designed to raise public awareness about alcohol consumption and how it may affect individuals, families and businesses. This year’s theme is “TOGETHER, WE CAN STOP UNDERAGE DRINKING ”. Within the scope of Alcohol Awareness Month, several events are imminent:
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Alcohol-Free Weekend (Friday, April 1 - Sunday, April 3)
From April 1 to 3, NCADD invites all Americans to enjoy an Alcohol-Free Weekend. Anyone experiencing difficulty or discomfort over these three days is urged to contact local NCADD affiliates, Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon, to learn more about alcoholism and its early symptoms. Alcohol-Free Weekend will raise community consciousness about alcoholism and related health issues, and may also serve as a trigger to recovery.
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National Alcohol Screening Day (Thursday, April 7)
Thursday, April 7, will be National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD), sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). NASD provides an annual opportunity to offer free, anonymous screening for alcohol-use disorders to the general public, and emphasize the relationship between alcohol and health. The theme, "Alcohol and Health, Where do you draw the line?" promotes a broad health message applicable to anyone who drinks alcohol. (NASD is a program of Screening for Mental Health, and is conducted in collaboration with the NIAAA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.)
News on Adolescents and Young Adults:
 New findings regarding illicit use of pain medication in college students
- Prevalence of illicit use of prescription pain medication such as OxyContin and Vicodin is 10% for young adults aged 18-25, a higher number than all other age groups.
- Studies also show that this number has quadrupled in the last 20 years and is becoming an increasing health problem.
- A new study from the University of Michigan underscores the need for gender specific preventive efforts to change the course of this development.
- The study found that women are more likely than men to be prescribed pain medication but that men are more likely to divert their prescriptions towards illicit use. Men are also more likely to use prescription pain medicine not intended for them.
- The study also found that those who obtain prescription pain medications from peers are more likely to use them with other substances for the purpose of intoxication.
- Early introduction, previous prescription, membership in the Greek community, off campus housing, and low grades were all found to be predictors of illicit prescription pain medicine use.
- Although more women obtain their illicit prescriptions from family, a majority of both sexes reported peers as their main source.
- The authors suggest changes in prescription practices, parent education, new delivery systems, and alternative medications as possible solutions to this growing problem.
McCabe, S.E., Teter, C. J., Boyd, C. J. (2005). Illicit Use of Pain Medication Among College Students. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 77, 37-47.
BOSTON, MA (September 12, 2003) – Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS) released today a new study documenting, through systematic on-site observations, the extent to which college students are targeted with sales of large volumes of alcohol (such as 24- and 30-can cases of beer, kegs, and “party balls”), low sale prices, and frequent alcohol promotions at bars, liquor stores, and other retail outlets surrounding college campuses. The study found a strong association between the presence of these promotions and higher rates of heavy drinking on college campuses. Click here for more information.
On September 9, 2003, the National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Medicine released Reducing Underage Drinking - A Collective Responsibility, a comprehensive review of existing alcohol prevention efforts. The report exposes the largely invisible public health epidemic of underage drinking, analyzes the most recent data on underage drinking and addresses the best strategies for preventing youth from using and abusing alcohol. Reducing Underage Drinking - A Collective Responsibility takes the first step in creating a comprehensive, national plan to combat underage drinking. Click here for full report.
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