Research & Resources

While working to limit unhealthy drinking behavior among college students, it’s important not to ignore harm-reduction approaches. Researchers at Penn State taught college students behavioral strategies they could use to limit how much they drank and to avoid exposure to the consequences of high-intensity drinking. They found that using the strategies made certain consequences such as passing out while drinking, driving drunk, or regretting sexual behaviors less likely. Those conducting prevention efforts in working with college students should use these strategies to limit the harms that students face. The article, “Are protective behavioral strategies associated with fewer negative consequences on high-intensity drinking days? Results from a measurement-burst design,” was published in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. It was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.