Alcohol: Social Norm Interventions
The Social Norms approach has been used most effectively to reduce heavy episodic alcohol consumption* and alcohol-related harm. The interventions listed in the first table have documented significant reduction of harm and heavy use by consistently promoting protective social norms. The interventions listed in the second table are as yet in process, with outcome data still forthcoming.
Note: If you are aware of a social norm intervention that warrants inclusion here, please address your suggestion to [email protected].
*A note on terminology: There has been a great deal of discussion in the prevention field about the inappropriate use of the term "binge drinking" to characterize the consumption of 5 or more drinks per occasion for men and 4 or more drinks per occasion for women (the so-called 5/4 measure). More significant, perhaps, is the argument that the 5/4 measure is an inadequate predictor of negative consequences. This measure is further problematic given that the level of consumption targeted for reduction varies considerably from one intervention site to the next. For these and other reasons we have generally chosen throughout this document to replace the term "binge drinking" with "heavy episodic alcohol consumption."
For further information regarding the inaccuracy of the term "binge drinking," consult the following resources:
- Inter-Association Task Force (IATF) on Alcohol and Other Substance Abuse Issues' Proclamation
The IATF Proclamation, issued in August 2000, requests that researchers and agencies refrain from using the term "binge drinking "except as it is generally and historically used to denote a prolonged …period of intoxication…" Further, the IATF urges the use of "definitions that are objectively defined by health research data that account for weight, gender, quantity of alcohol, and frequency and duration of consumption," such as Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). - "A Note to the Field: On 'Binge Drinking,'" issued by The Higher Education Center
This October 2000 press release by the Higher Education Center provides a comprehensive explanation of why most researchers in the prevention field now reject the use of the word "binge" to describe "having 5/4-plus drinks over some unspecified period of time." - "Back to School and Binge Drinking on College Campuses,"
by John A. Carpenter
(from Recovery, the newsletter of the American Council on Alcoholism)
An October 1998 note on the recently announced editorial policy of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol. According to this policy, "the term 'binge' should be used only to describe an extended period of time during which a person repeatedly administers alcohol or another substance to the point of intoxication, and gives up his/her usual activities in order to use this substance."
Interventions with Outcome Data Select a site for detailed information about that intervention.
| Intervention Site | Reduction: Heavy Episodic Alcohol Consumption |
|---|---|
| University of North Carolina | 30% over 5 years |
| Northern Illinois University | 44% over 10 years |
| University of Arizona | 28% over 5 years |
| Hobart & William Smith Colleges | 40% over 4 years |
| Rowan University | 23% over 5 Semesters |
| Western Washington University | 20% over 3 years |
| Western Washington University | "Beyond Mass Marketing" See Project Description |
| University of Missouri | 21% over 2 years |
| DCP SAFE (H.S. Students) | 14% over 2 years |
| Evanston Township High School | 11% over 2 years |
| SUNY-New Paltz | 21% over 4 years |
| University of Virginia | See Project Description |
| California State Polytechnic University | 21st Birthday Card |
Select a site for detailed information about that intervention.
| Intervention Site | Project Name |
|---|---|
| Kansas Campus Social Norms Media Campaign |
Reducing Alcohol-Related Health Risks to College Students |
| Michigan State University | Just the Facts |
| Montana Social Norms Project | Young Adults Impaired Driving Prevention Campaign |
| University of Oregon | The New View 2000 |
| Berkshire County, Massachusetts | Massachusetts Governor's Highway Safety Bureau (GHSB) Social Norms Campaign |
| University of Texas-Austin | Longhorns Against Drunk Driving |
| Education Development Center | Social Norms Marketing Research Project |
| California State University, Chico | Social Norming and Breath Sampling |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth | Reality Bytes Social Norm Campaign |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | VCU Students Are Healthier Than You Think |
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www.socialnorm.org
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