Committee Combats Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Abuse on Campus

5-16-97
University Park, Pa. -- Maureen Gaffney, chair of the Commission for the Prevention of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Abuse, told Penn State's Board of Trustees today (May 16) that collaboration will play an important role in further reducing student substance abuse and called for University leadership to use their influence in addressing the problem.

Gaffney, campus health services and counseling director at Penn State Hazleton and fellow commission members Susan Kennedy, associate director of University Health Services, and Judith Vicary, associate professor of biobehavioral health, reviewed the Commission's 1996-97 activities for the trustees.

"Collaboration and leadership across the University will help us formulate initiatives that foster an academic and work environment that values healthy lifestyle choices," said Gaffney.

In his State of the University Address this year, Penn State President Graham Spanier identified alcohol-related behaviors among the most serious problems facing higher education.

The commission is an interdisciplinary advisory group to William Asbury, vice president for student affairs, and consists of faculty, staff, student, and community representatives from all campus locations. Its goals are to increase the commitment from University leaders; decrease the number of students experiencing problems related to alcohol, tobacco and other drug use; decrease student use of these substances and increase faculty, staff, student, alumni and community involvement. In addition, the commission developed a planning matrix to sort initiatives aimed at challenging the norms and those aimed at changing the environment.

This winter, the Commission sent a Core Alcohol and Drug Survey to all faculty and staff at all campus locations and a series of regional meetings and presentations were held throughout the Commonwealth Education System. The Commission collaborated with the Collegian, Department of Public Information, Judicial Affairs, the Office of Health Promotion and Education, Residence Life, Police Services, community police and district justices, to coordinate the communication and implementation of intervention efforts. A few Commission members also joined the Greek Task Force, which is developing new alcohol policies for the Greek community.

"All Penn State locations have made a commitment to establish education, prevention and intervention programs for their communities," said Gaffney.

Among its current projects is a freshman seminar on life skills and making healthy choices to be presented during Freshman Testing, Counseling and Advising Programs this summer. Other prevention programs include late-night activities at the HUB, a University Health Services Web site, anti-alcohol abuse messages on University scoreboards at Beaver Stadium and the Bryce Jordan Center and cooperation between the commission, the State College Tavern Owner and Downtown State College associations.

University efforts are already paying off. The percentage of undergraduates who binge on alcohol dropped at Penn State this year, according to a Penn State Pulse survey administered by the Student Affairs Office in February. The survey found that 43 percent of men and 46 percent of women had binged on alcohol, as opposed to 51 percent of men and 54 percent of women surveyed last year.

Penn State's efforts are being recognized nationally. Gaffney reported the commission's three-year strategic plan has been identified as one of the best practices in alcohol abuse prevention and will be published as part of a 1997 national resource book titled "Promising Practices: Campus Alcohol Strategies."

In closing, she noted that the contributions of University leaders are shaping the commission's direction. "The key word is collaboration. University leadership can help by continuing to work with the commission to develop, implement and evaluate effective strategies that promote the reduction of high-risk drinking."

**kiw**

Contact: Karen I. Wagner (814) 865-7517 (office) (814) 867-0797 (home) kiw1@psu.edu
Christy Rambeau (814) 865-7517 (office) (814) 237-9046 (home) cmr7@psu.edu