ERIC Number: EJ858592
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1559-5455
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Decreasing Use of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs on a College Campus: Exploring Potential Factors Related to Change
English, Erin M.; Shutt, Michael D.; Oswalt, Sara B.
NASPA Journal, v46 n2 p163-182 2009
High-risk alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use has been a persistent problem on college campuses despite decades of prevention programming. However, some universities may begin to experience a lower prevalence of high-risk behaviors, not because of education efforts, but because of generational changes in the incoming student population. This study examined the ATOD use of incoming students (n = 5,964) at a large, southeastern, public university over a 5-year period. The data demonstrated an overall decrease in incoming students' ATOD use, which may be connected to the defining characteristics of the Millennial generation--a need for structure, respect for authority, a tendency to follow rules and institutional policies, and an appreciation for the institution's increasing focus on academic rigor--as well as increased ethnic diversity of the generation. As increasing numbers of Millennials enter college, these results become critically important for prevention work and policy development. (Contains 5 tables.)
Descriptors: Campuses, Smoking, Alcohol Abuse, Incidence, Prevention, Demography, Age Groups, Differences
NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. 1875 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 418, Washington, DC 20009. Tel: 202-265-7500; Fax: 202-797-1157; Web site: http://www.naspa.org/pubs/index.cfm
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A