New Publication Showcases Effective College Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Strategies

Since 1999, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) has awarded grants to colleges and universities leading the way in alcohol and other drug abuse prevention. Campuses received grants to help them enhance and evaluate their prevention efforts and disseminate their successes to other campuses.

Experiences in Effective Prevention (PDF) marks the culmination of a two-year project led by the U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention, operated by  HHD, to capture the experiences of more than 20 campuses and document factors linked to the success of their programs. 

The publication reviews and synthesizes information gleaned from site visits by Center staff and consultants, during which campus-based program staff, faculty, administrators, students, and community members shared what contributed to the success of their program or policy. 

These core elements are the cornerstone of the publication and refer to the ingredients of a comprehensive approach to college alcohol and other drug abuse prevention programming:

• Exercising leadership
• Building coalitions
• Choosing evidence-based programs
• Implementing strategic planning
• Conducting a program evaluation
• Working toward sustainability
• Taking the long view

To learn more about other publications or ways the Higher Education Center helps institutions of higher education develop, implement, and evaluate alcohol and other drug abuse and violence prevention programs and policies, visit the Higher Education Center's website at www.higheredcenter.org.

January 23, 2008