best practices in alcohol education: 10 core concepts to teach college students brian van brunt,...

BEST PRACTICES IN ALCOHOL EDUCATION: 10 CORE CONCEPTS TO TEACH COLLEGE STUDENTS

Brian Van Brunt, Ed.D.

Senior Vice President for Professional Development Programs

National Center For Higher Education Risk Management

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky University

• College administrators and student affairs staff are placed in the position of choosing the best approach to alcohol prevention and sanctioning on their campus.

• There are a number of commercial programs, training seminars and free SAMHSA information on alcohol programming available.

Purchase, Customize or Create?

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• One emerging area of concern is the role of research and evidence-based practice. Many programs are using research as part of their advertising efforts.

• While evidence-based practice is a good idea, it is important to ensure that the research is accurate and applicable to your campus. In other words, do the research findings apply to your institution’s specific climate?


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Assessment and evaluation of an alcohol program on a college campus can be challenging. There are generally two approaches:


Data-Based Assessments

Student Feelings

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• With student feelings, surveys and interviews are designed to assess the student’s experience with the program. Think consumer satisfaction.

• The central question is: How does the student feel about the program?

• Was it too long? Too short? Could they relate to it? Do they think it will change their drinking habits?


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• With data-based assessments, objective data is used to assess what the students have learned and how this may apply to their drinking habits.

• This may be looking at judicial sanctioning percentages for the freshman class or vandalism on campus.

• It may be a pre-test given before the program and a post-test given after to look at differences in knowledge.


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• Each approach comes with some concerns.

• We know that correlation does not imply causation. If judicial sanctions for alcohol are down on your campus, are there other factors in addition to the alcohol program that could be responsible?

• Are the students responding with the “Hawthorne Effect,” saying what the researchers want to hear?


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• If there is an initial improvement between pre- and post-test scores, does that knowledge stay for the student at 2 weeks, 2 months…2 years?

• Is there a connection between a student learning what they should do versus what they actually do in real life scenarios?

• Do some programs have the funding and connections to better create research studies that support their program?


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• Primary Prevention• Full student body• No specific risk

• Secondary Prevention• Target group (freshmen,

Greek)• Some general risk

• Tertiary Prevention• Target group (sanctioned)• Identified risk


Primary

Secondary

Tertiary

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• This is similar to the 3-in-1 framework that supports the use of comprehensive, integrated programs with multiple complementary components that target:

(1) individuals, including at-risk or alcohol- dependent drinkers,

(2) the student population as a whole, and (3) the college and the surrounding community.

www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/StatsSummaries/3inone.aspx


http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/StatsSummaries/3inone.aspx

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Alcohol 101 plus

College Drinking: Changing the Culture

Drivers Against MADD Methods (DAMM)

Free Online Resources

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• www.alcohol101plus.org

• Program designed for first-year students, Greeks, athletes and judicial policy offenders• High quality video recordings• Set up on bulletin board layout with sticky notes

and colorful graphics

• Developed for free by distillers

http://www.alcohol101plus.org/

http://www.alcohol101plus.org/home.html

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• Virtual tour of campus with video scenarios acted out, exploration of terms like pre-gaming, examples lead to “choose your own path” videos

• Reflection on what choices are made

• Very graphically involved, similar to the Sim’s video game animated characters


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• A bit dogmatic about drinking consequences for a sip of rum – call the dean, alcohol education class, call to parents, transcripts…a bit unrealistic, most schools are not kicking students out for 2 minor alcohol violations

• Greek row - presenting both sides of Greek life: “the days when Greeks throw crazy parties where everyone gets wasted are gone. We

are lucky no one has died…” • Focused on taking responsibility for carding and

monitoring drinking


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• Virtual Bar to calculate BAC levels & state laws after weight/gender information is entered; can see how friends with different weights & genders would be affected by same drinking

• Real life DUI video, parents picking student up at police station laying on guilt (cost of insurance, impound, court date with costs)

• Looks at scare tactics, fired from job…DUI costs $8649 for first DUI; a first DUI in Kentucky is about $1000


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• College Drinking government website clearinghouse of information

• www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/

• Offers a wide spectrum of information for free that can be adapted to your college. Is also a great resource for articles, many with printable PDFs available at no cost for immediate download.

http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/

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• Blood alcohol level, calorie & cost calculators

• Flash Alcohol Myths video and Alcohol and You: An Interactive Body flash video

• Tips on cutting down drinking

• Alcohol abuse facts

• Information for college parents and presidents

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• http://damm-madd.com/

• Argue BAC is not a good method for assessment, that reaction time is more accurate

• If the State will issue a license to a 75-year-old driver whose response time on a simulator is 1.5 seconds, then obviously the State considers 1.5 seconds to be within safe limits for operating a motor vehicle on public roadways

http://damm-madd.com/

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1. All Alcohol Isn't Created Equal2. Binge Drinking and the Funnel3. Drinking Games4. Qualities of Successful Drinkers5. Bi Phasic Effect6. Harm Reduction and MET7. Change Theory: Prochaska and DiClemente8. Social Norming9. Don’t Drink to Cope10. The Light Board

Ten “Must Haves” for Alcohol Programs

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• Many programs offer some discussion addressing the difference between volume of alcohol in a quantity of liquid.

• This is an essential education task for college students. Understanding what “one drink” is when dealing with red party cups, large margaritas and Jell-O shooters.

1. All Alcohol Isn’t Created Equal

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• The problem with binge drinking is that the alcohol cannot be processed at the rate of consumption

• The vivid example given during an alcohol education class is a big blue funnel filling up with water over their kitchen sink at home

• Turn the water on too fast and the funnel can’t keep up with the flow

2. Binge Drinking and the Funnel

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There are several factors that affect the rate of absorption. These are:

• Amount consumed• Time consumed• Gender

• women process slower• Weight• Food consumed prior to drinking

2. Binge Drinking and the Funnel

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3. Drinking Games: Funneling

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3. Drinking Games: Shot Luge

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3. Drinking Games: Shotgunning

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3. Drinking Games: Beirut, Beer-Pong

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Though controversial, I would suggest there is nothing inherently wrong with drinking games. The problem is:

• Knowing your limit and sticking to it

• Avoiding overuse of games

• (Remember, even Cookie Monster now sees cookiesas a sometimes food)

3. Drinking Games

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• There is a great deal of time spent on discussing what warning signs we should look for with problem drinkers. Things like:• drinking first thing in the morning• blackouts• not sticking to a limit

• I would suggest more attention to helping students understand how people drink when they do not have a drinking problem

4. Qualities of Successful Drinkers

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Some of these qualities include:

• Eating before drinking• Sipping drinks, savor the flavors and aromas• Alternating with non-alcoholic drinks• An ability to set a limit and stick to it• Knowing how much alcohol they’ve had• Respecting the rights of others not to drink• Can have fun with or without alcohol

4. Qualities of Successful Drinkers

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5. Biphasic Effect

The Big Drinking Secret:

How to Drink Well

David J. Hanson, Ph. D.Professor Emeritus of Sociology of the State University of New York at Potsdam.

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5. Biphasic Effect

Most people think that if a few drinks make them feel good, then a lot of drinks will make them feel even better.

But that’s not true. Although a few drinks will make them feel better, more will make them feel worse. It’s called the biphasic (or two-part) effect.

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5. Biphasic Effect

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/HealthIssues/references/1100827422.html

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5. Biphasic Effect

Here’s what happens. People tend to feel better as their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) rises to about .05 (.055 to be exact). That’s the first phase or part.

If people drink more and their BAC rises above .055, the negative effects of drinking increase and hangovers become worse. That’s the second phase.

So it’s clearly smart to stop during the first phase and not progress into the second phase.

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5. Biphasic Effect

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/HealthIssues/references/1100827422.html

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5. Biphasic Effect

Time

FeelingScale

+

__

0

Dysphoria - Down

Euphoria - Up Point of Diminishing

Returns

Cultural Myth About

Alcohol

After Tolerance Develops

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Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky University

“Motivation can be understood not as something that one has but rather as something one does. It involves recognizing a problem, searching for a way to change, and then beginning and sticking with that change strategy.

There are, it turns out, many ways to help people move toward such recognition and action.”

William R. Miller, 1999, p. 8

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6. Harm Reduction & MET

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Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky University

Five key elements to MI (or MET) are

1. Express Empathy2. Develop Discrepancy3. Avoid Argumentation4. Roll with Resistance5. Support Self-Efficacy

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• Attempt to see the situation from the student’s eyes (empathy) to understand their lack of motivation for change.

• Time is spent helping the student understand that their current actions will not lead to a desired outcome.

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Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky University

7. Change Theory: Prochaska and DiClemente

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Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky UniversityDr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky University

• Students fail to achieve the change they are seeking because we focus our efforts on the action stage too quickly (skipping pre-contemplation, contemplation and preparation).

• Many of the frustrations we face when working with mandated, hostile or unmotivated students can be explained by this process.



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Goal in Conversation What to say…Validate their experience You are here to talk about your drinking, but

aren’t sure you want to cut back.

Acknowledge their control As much as I may want you to stop drinking, the choice to stop or cut back remains with you.

Give your opinion It seems your drinking has had a negative impact on your life. Tell me how you see it.

Acknowledge the pressure This is a difficult discussion for you. You likely feel pressured to tell me what I want to hear.

Validate they are not ready I understand you are not ready to cut back on your drinking.

Restate they must choose Ultimately, it is up to you to choose to cut back or stop your drinking.

Reframe this discussion This discussion is a starting place, let’s see it as a beginning rather than a final discussion.

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• We need to include developmentally appropriate messages about drinking safely.

• We drink more when we are with people who drink more than we do. Environments that are known to us and populated with people we trust to support our choices further reduce the risk of harm.

8. Social Norming

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• It may seem like everyone at college drinks and goes to parties every weekend.

• But a third of all college students surveyed in 2005 said they didn’t drink at all in the past month, and less than half reported binge drinking (3 to 4 or more drinks in under two hours) over the course of a month.

8. Social Norming

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9. Don’t Drink to Cope

• While the proportion of students who binge drink frequently has continued to rise in the last decade, that number still accounts for less than a quarter of all college students.

• Not all college students drink, and the ones that do don’t drink all the time. Lots of students are having fun without alcohol at school-sponsored events like concerts and poetry nights or off-campus plays, restaurants and more.

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9. Don’t Drink to Cope

Alcohol is an inadequate coping mechanism

Stressed-out students who turn to alcohol have a tendency to act more impulsively and therefore have higher risks of suicides, perpetrating violence, or being involved in behaviors that have short- and long-

term consequences (unwanted sexual encounters,

pregnancies, auto accidents, property damage, etc.)

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10. The Light Board

• In teaching AOD classes to sanctioned college students, I found the following imagery helpful.

• “As I talk to you today about alcohol use, I want you to imagine a blank wall in a dark room. Imagine small circular holes are cut out of the wall and small white Christmas lights are placed in these holes. As I talk, if one of the points I make about alcohol use hits home for you, imagine a light turns on.”

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10. The Light Board

“For each of us, any few lights probably aren’t an indication that you have a problem with alcohol. But, if as you listen, you find yourself lighting up a large number of lights – then you might consider coming into counseling to talk to someone about your alcohol use.”

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best practices in alcohol education: 10 core concepts to teach college students brian van brunt,...

Documents

alcohol prevention

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alcohol education

student learning

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student affairs staff

role of research