HEALTHY TRANSITIONS Facing the College Years. Presented By: David S. Anderson, Ph.D. Associate Professor George Mason University Department of Health,

HEALTHY TRANSITIONSFacing the College Years

Presented By:

David S. Anderson, Ph.D.Associate Professor

George Mason UniversityDepartment of Health, Fitness and Recreation Resources

“Alcohol abuse kills and injures more of our young people and costs our society more than all the illegal drugs put together.”

Dr. David Satcher, U.S. Surgeon General

You should know . . .

. . . the prevalence of alcohol and other drug use on college campuses.

01020304050607080

Pe

rce

nt

95 98 99Year

Tobacco Alcohol Marijuana Designer Drugs

You should know . . .

College Student Use in the Last 30 Days: National

National Core Survey: 1999

14%

11%

19%

7% 3%

46%

None

Once

Twice

3-5 times

6-9 times

10+ times

Virginia Core Survey: 2000

College Males Who Consumed Five or More Drinks in a Sitting During the Past Two Weeks

You should know . . .

College Females Who Consumed Five or More Drinks in a Sitting During the Past Two Weeks

13%

10%

12%3% 1%

62%

None

Once

Twice

3-5 times

6-9 times

10+ times

Virginia Core Survey: 2000

You should know . . .

GMU Freshmen Who Consumed Five or More Drinks in a Sitting During the Past Two Weeks

13%

10%

8% 3%

67%

None

Once

Twice

3-5 times

6-9 times

GMU Drug Survey: 2000

You should know . . .

. . . alcohol contributes to damage and crime on college campuses.

You should know . . .

54

55

60

60

0 20 40 60 80 100

Campus Policy Violation

Campus Property Damage

Violent Behavior

Residence Hall Damage

Mean Percentages

You should know . . .

Alcohol's Involvement With Campus Problems

College Alcohol Survey: 2000

23

36

40

64

70

0 20 40 60 80 100

Health Center Contacts

Emotional Difficulty

Physical Injury

Unsafe Sexual Practices

Acquaintance Rape

Mean Percentages

You should know . . .

Alcohol's Involvement In Personal Behaviors

College Alcohol Survey: 2000

You should know . . .Alcohol’s Involvement: GMU Freshmen

(First Seven Weeks of the Fall 2000 Semester)

GMU Drug Survey: 2000

12.3

9

8.5

5.8

4.2

0 5 10 15

Passed Out

Damaged Property

Hurt/Injured

Performed Poorly on Test

Physical Fight

Percent

. . . alcohol use negatively impacts academic performance.

You should know . . .

Average Number Of Drinks Per Week By Grade Point Average

3.3

4.8

6.1

9.0

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

"A" Students "B" Students "C" Students "D" or "F" Students

National Core Survey: 1996

You should know . . .

. . . alcohol and other drug use begins early.

You should know . . .

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Per

cen

t

1991 1995 1999Year

8thGrade

10thGrade

12thGrade

Students Who Reported Alcohol Use (30 days)

You should know . . .

Monitoring the Future

You should know . . .

Monitoring the Future

Students Who Reported 5+ Drinks in a Row (2 Weeks)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Perc

en

t

1991 1995 1999Year

8thGrade

10thGrade

12thGrade

0

5

10

15

20

25

Per

cen

t

1991 1995 1999Year

8thGrade

10thGrade

12thGrade

Students Who Reported Marijuana Use (30 Days)

You should know . . .

Monitoring the Future

0

10

20

30

40

50

60P

erce

nt

Fairfax Co.(2001)

National (1999)

Year

8thGrade

10thGrade

12thGrade

Students Who Reported Alcohol Use (30 Days)

You should know . . .

Monitoring the Future and Fairfax Co. Public Schools Survey

. . . students overestimate the level of alcohol and other drug use by their peers.

You should know . . .

0102030405060708090

100

Perc

en

t

Alcohol Marijuana Designer Drugs

Year

Perception

Actual

Actual and Perceived Annual Drug/Alcohol Use:Virginia Colleges/Universities

You should know . . .

Virginia Core Survey: 2000

You should know . . .

. . . parents underestimate the level of alcohol and other drug use by their children.

05

101520253035404550

Pe

rce

nt

AttendedUnsupervised

Parties

Drinking Alcoholat Home

Drinking AlcoholWhile Out

Parents'Perception

Teens'Actions

Parent Perception and Student Behaviors

You should know . . .

Haynie et al 1999

You should know . . .

. . . heavier alcohol use is relatively resistant to change.

College Student Drinking Patterns

0

20

40

60

80

100

79 82 85 88 91 94 97Year

Per

cent

of S

tude

nt U

se

Heavier Drinking Use in Last 30 Days

You should know . . .

Monitoring the Future

Campus Effort and Heavier Use Patterns

You should know . . .

Monitoring the Future

0

20

40

60

80

100

79 82 85 88 91 94 97 00Year

Pe

rce

nt

of

Stu

de

nt

Use

Heavier Drinking Campus Effort

Le

ve

l of E

ffort

“For every problem, there is one solution which is simple, neat and wrong.”

Henry Louis Mencken

Helpful Strategies

Correct Misperceptions of Peer Alcohol and Other Drug Use

Helpful Strategies

Address the Underlying Needs of Students

We believe that human beings are basically good

and that, despite setbacks, our history is on a path of

progress and promise.

We believe that values are at the core of self and community and are essential to any meaningful change.

OPTIMISM

We believe that an ethic of balanced self-care is

fundamental to flourishing as a human

being in the world community.

OPTIMISM

VALUES

We believe that learning how to be in working relationships

is an essential developmental task

for young adults.

OPTIMISM

SELF-CARE

VALUES

We believe that creating a culture of community through

rituals, symbols, traditions, and heroes is needed to

insure quality educational experiences.

OPTIMISM

VALUES

SELF-CARE

RELATIONSHIPS

We believe that the connection of the biological, natural being to the larger

planetary system is essential and insures the health of the

planet and our well-being, including our ultimate

spiritual survival.

OPTIMISM

VALUES

SELF-CARE

RELATIONSHIPS

COMMUNITY

OPTIMISM

VALUES

SELF-CARE

RELATIONSHIPS

COMMUNITY

NATURE

We believe that service is indispensable in engaging

people in authentic and meaningful learning

experiences and in creating positive social change.

OPTIMISM

VALUES

SELF-CARE

RELATIONSHIPS

COMMUNITY

NATURE

SERVICE

Helpful Strategies

Helpful Strategies

Maintain parental involvement throughout the college years

Helpful Strategies

Helpful Strategies

•Be a good role model

•Be factual and straightforward

•Good information is always the best defense

•Do not use scare tactics

•Be a good role model

•Be factual and straightforward

•Good information is always the best defense

•Do not use scare tactics

Helpful Strategies

0102030405060708090

Flyer HealthCenterStaff

Friends RomanticPartner

Parents

GMU Freshmen Report Believability of Sources for Health Information

GMU Drug Survey: 2000

Per

cent

Helpful Strategies

TASK FORCE PLANNER

Promote Comprehensive Campus-based Initiatives

Task Force Planner

A comprehensive

campus-based

initiative engages a

wide variety of

campus groups and

individuals as they

implement a diverse

set of strategies.

Helpful Strategies

Provide Accurate Information

Helpful Strategies

• SAMHSA’S National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (www.health.org)

• National Institute of Alcohol abuse and Alcoholism (www.niaaa.nih.gov)

• NIDA National Institute on Drug Abuse (www.nida.nih.gov)

• The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention (www.edc.org/hec)

• Promising Practice Campus Alcohol Strategies (www.promprac.gmu.edu)

Reputable Resources

Helpful Strategies

Hold Colleges and Universities Accountable

Helpful Strategies

For any questions on your mind, expect complete and honest answers.

HEALTHY TRANSITIONSFacing the College Years

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY Healthy Expectations

4400 University Dr., MS 1F5Fairfax, VA 22030-4444Phone: 703-993-3697

www.caph.gmu.eduwww.healthyexpectations.gmu.edu

End

Presentation