Alcohol education
Encyclopedia
Alcohol education is the planned provision of information and skills relevant to living in a world where alcohol
is commonly misused
.
Currently 747 schools in the United States require some sort of alcohol education. Students must complete a program which educates them on the consequences of binge drinking
. MADD
states in a recent publication that 4 out of 5 college students drink and 100% of students surveyed said that drinking alcohol while in college has social benefits.. Most colleges have alcohol policies which restrict underage drinking and have consequences. Many schools also require an entrance program to be attended by all transfer students as well as freshman that make the dangers and the policies regarding alcohol clear. A documentary about the late 18 year old Gordie Bailey, is shown at many colleges.
Online courses are used in many schools. The most effective and widely used of these is AlcoholEdu, a population-level prevention program typically administered to all high school or college freshmen.
In the United States, Collegedrinkingprevention.gov is a government funded website based through the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
which aims to change the drinking culture of college. Their report A Call to Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges details how colleges and universities conduct alcohol programs. Publicly funded universities must comply with their standards as stated in their report.
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
is commonly misused
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
.
History in the United States
Teaching about alcohol consumption has been a controversial topic for schools in the United States has been controversial due to the differing viewpoints of Americans on the subject. A variety of educational methods that reflect these viewpoints have been developed and tried over the last century, but have yielded little behavioural change. These methods have included:- an abstinenceAbstinenceAbstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, or abstention from alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical...
model — simply "don't do it" - a social-economic model — which employs statistics demonstrating the likely effects of irresponsible drinking
- an alcoholism approach — which treats consumption of alcohol as a disease.
- an alternative approach — which seeks to offer alternatives to drinking.
College alcohol education
Alcohol programs and courses as a requirement of college students is a current, widespread movement to educate underage students about alcohol consumption in efforts to make binge drinking decrease, and safer students.Currently 747 schools in the United States require some sort of alcohol education. Students must complete a program which educates them on the consequences of binge drinking
Binge drinking
Binge drinking or heavy episodic drinking is the modern epithet for drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. It is a kind of purposeful drinking style that is popular in several countries worldwide,...
. MADD
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is a non-profit organization in the United States that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and overall push for stricter alcohol policy...
states in a recent publication that 4 out of 5 college students drink and 100% of students surveyed said that drinking alcohol while in college has social benefits.. Most colleges have alcohol policies which restrict underage drinking and have consequences. Many schools also require an entrance program to be attended by all transfer students as well as freshman that make the dangers and the policies regarding alcohol clear. A documentary about the late 18 year old Gordie Bailey, is shown at many colleges.
Online courses are used in many schools. The most effective and widely used of these is AlcoholEdu, a population-level prevention program typically administered to all high school or college freshmen.
In the United States, Collegedrinkingprevention.gov is a government funded website based through the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism , as part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, supports and conducts biomedical and behavioral research on the causes, consequences, treatment, and prevention of alcoholism and alcohol-related problems...
which aims to change the drinking culture of college. Their report A Call to Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges details how colleges and universities conduct alcohol programs. Publicly funded universities must comply with their standards as stated in their report.
External links
- Alcohol-related death rates almost double since 1991, news release, United Kingdom Office for National StatisticsOffice for National StatisticsThe Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
- Alcoholism and Problem Drinking, Patient UK
- English 'booze culture' Targeted, BBC News
- Alcohol Statistics Scotland 2005, National Health Service, National Services Scotland
- Alcohol-Drug Education Service