Behavioral Risk Factor
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Binge drinking and risky drinking is one of the leading behavioral risk factors affecting millions of adults (18 years and older) (Kovner & Knickman, 2011). According to Kovner a
Knickman (2011) alcohol misuse is most common in young adults. Unfortunately, many students in college often believe that binge drinking is a part of being a student. In Florida, there is always multiple stories in the media related to alcohol-related injuries. According to the U.S Department of Education, (2008) approximately 40 percent of college students engage in high-risk drinking.
Also, over 100, 000 deaths are associated with alcohol drinking every year (Kovner &
Knickman, 2011; U.S Department of Education, 2008). This is a significant issue in Florida because approximately 25 percent of college students dropout due to alcohol- related issue.
Additionally, approximately 600, 000 students are unintentionally injured while under the influence of alcohol ( University of Florida, n.d).
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Population-Based Intervention
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A downstream intervention that would be useful in modifying binge-drinking would be to provide anonymous counseling and support groups to those individuals or groups experiencing problems with alcohol. This intervention would be beneficial because it will provide social support and provide education to those students experiencing problems with alcohol.
A midstream intervention that can be effective is for universities to have an alcohol-free campus during high-risk times. For example, many alcoholic related injuries usually occur at the beginning of the school year. The University can suspend, fine or expel students if they do not comply with the school policy. At the university, I attended in Canada we had an alcohol-free campus during the first few weeks of school. If a student was caught drinking on campus, they were no longer allowed to live on campus and had to find alternate living situation. This
intervention