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A Matter of Degree

An Effective Practice

Description

A Matter of Degree is an environmental intervention program implemented at colleges with high binge drinking rates. Participating colleges develop a college-community coalition of stakeholders and use this forum to assess local issues and develop interventions. The program addresses the following features of the environment that influence the use and misuse of alcohol: social and cultural beliefs and behaviors about alcohol; marketing and advertising of alcohol; alcohol availability; access to alcohol; and college, local and state policies and practices regarding alcohol. Intervention activities include keg registration, server training, over-service enforcement, substance-free residence halls, restrictive policies for Greek students, wild party enforcement, bans on alcohol ads in school newspapers, bans on alcohol-related items in school stores, and a parental notification policy.

Goal / Mission

The goal of the A Matter of Degree program is to reduce student drinking and driving after drinking.

Results / Accomplishments

The program was evaluated using a quasi-experimental longitudinal study design comparing 10 colleges participating in the program with students at 32 similar colleges. There were significant reductions in driving after drinking, driving after five or more drinks, and riding with a high or drunk driver at the program colleges when compared to the comparison colleges.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Harvard School of Public Health
Primary Contact
Elissa Weitzman, evaluation director
"A Matter of Degree" program evaluation
Department of Society, Human Development and Health
Harvard School of Public Health
401 Park Drive
Boston, MA 02215
amod@hsph.harvard.edu
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu
Topics
Health / Alcohol & Drug Use
Community / Public Safety
Community / Transportation
Organization(s)
Harvard School of Public Health
Source
Traffic Injury Prevention
Date of publication
Dec 2005
Date of implementation
1996
Location
USA
For more details
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16266941?itool=...
Target Audience
Teens

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Related Content for: A Matter of Degree

An Effective Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success and/or promise in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures of improvement in outcome of interest (i.e. increase in voter registration, not just delivery of voter registration drive) and/ or the outcome measure is increased or improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant.
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