The Role of State, Community, and Institutional Policy in the Prevention of College Alcohol Problems

Whether implemented at the institutional, community, state, or federal level, policy change is a particularly powerful environmental strategy, with the potential to reduce high-risk alcohol use and its consequences. This publication aims to encourage campus administrators in a state to work together to introduce policies that make the environment less supportive of high-risk alcohol use. Beginning with a general definition of policy, it goes on to review specific alcohol policy options cited in recent reviews of the scientific literature. It also suggests concrete actions that campus administrators can take to encourage key stakeholders, including policymakers, to review existing policy and serve as catalysts for change.