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Intervening to decrease alcohol abuse at university parties: differential reinforcement of intoxication level.

Angela K Fournier¹, Ian J Ehrhart, Kent E Glindemann

¹Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg 24061-0436, USA. akrom@vt.edu

Behavior Modification

|March 5, 2004

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An incentive program offering cash prizes for lower blood alcohol concentration (BAC) significantly reduced drinking levels and intoxication among college students at fraternity parties.

Area of Science:

Public Health
Behavioral Science
Addiction Research

Background:

College students, particularly those in fraternity settings, exhibit high-risk drinking behaviors.
Measuring blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is crucial for assessing intoxication levels and associated risks.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the effectiveness of an incentive/reward intervention on college students' drinking behavior and intoxication levels.
To determine if offering rewards for lower BAC can mitigate excessive alcohol consumption at fraternity parties.

Main Methods:

A quasi-experimental field study involving 356 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) assessments.
Comparison of BAC levels at two baseline parties versus two intervention parties at a fraternity house.
Intervention included informing students about cash prizes for BAC below .05 and providing nomograms for self-monitoring.

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Main Results:

Mean BAC and the percentage of students with BAC > .05 were significantly lower during intervention parties.
The proportion of legally intoxicated students (BAC > .08) was more than double at baseline parties compared to intervention parties.
Greek-life students showed a significant reduction in intoxication levels during the intervention.

Conclusions:

An incentive/reward intervention can effectively reduce alcohol consumption and intoxication levels among college students at fraternity parties.
This intervention demonstrates a clinically significant impact on reducing high-risk drinking behaviors.
Targeted interventions can be valuable tools for promoting safer drinking practices in college social settings.