The use of computer technology to reduce and prevent college drinking

Abstract

Underage drinking, or binge drinking, (defined as having five or more drinks in a row) has become a major concern in our society. The increase in heavy drinking that occurs across the transition to college has increased professionals’ awareness that there is a need for improved interventions to assist in the reduction of alcohol and substance use/abuse. At the University of Tennessee (UT), a computer-based intervention was put into place for the past 3 years with funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The intervention was provided to all college students via UT’s computer network system and was completed mostly online. Students were given a computerized, standardized assessment of alcohol use and then a brief intervention was given based on the students’ information. The intervention targeted students who were at highest risk for developing unsafe alcohol behaviors and/or increasing prior alcohol consumption habits in their first year of college.