Reducing Alcohol Harms Among University Students

This report presents a framework that can be used to implement programs and policies that can serve to reduce alcohol harms among the university student population. The framework focuses on highlighting best practices with a focus on three types of interventions:

(1) those that seek to reduce the demand for alcohol and individual harms that can result from heavy drinking (individual);

(2) those that focus on reducing the supply of alcohol to the individual (environmental); and

(3) those that require policy changes outside of the specific university context (systems).

A university alcohol policy should include as many elements from each of the three strategic intervention areas as possible to achieve the greatest impact. Collaboration with students and community is essential. A long-term vision and strategy is recommended. While some interventions can and should be implemented immediately to enhance student safety, others will require a commitment to work closely with university students, faculty and staff, the community, and provincial and federal governments over time before changes in higher level outcomes are seen.