Imagine you are the president of a college. As we will discuss in this week's lecture, ages 18-25 are a peak period for developing alcohol and other substance use disorders. Use your knowledge of these disorders (from lectures, textbook reading, and if applicable, personal experiences) to design an ideal policy and prevention program tailored to the students at your school.
Consider the following items in your response: Targeting of Interventions:
Should your interventions be broad to reach all students or targeted to specific groups at higher risk? Justify your choices based on empirical evidence.
Types of Messages:
1. What kind of messages should be conveyed in your interventions? Consider the tone and content
2. Would you emphasize the dangers of substance misuse, the benefits of abstention/moderation, or both?
3. How would you ensure the messages are effectively received (and taken seriously) by students?
Delivery of Messages and Interventions:
1. When and how should these messages be delivered for maximum impact? Think about the timing (e.g., orientation week, ongoing throughout the year), the format (e.g., workshops, digital media, peer-led sessions), and the setting (e.g., classroom, dorms, campus-wide events).
Use of Contingencies:
1. What incentives or consequences could you employ to encourage healthy behaviors and discourage harmful ones? Discuss any ethical considerations involved in implementing such measures.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
1. How would you monitor the effectiveness of your policies and interventions? What metrics would you track (e.g., incidence of substance use disorders, student engagement with the programs, changes in campus culture regarding substance use)?
2. How would you adjust your strategies based on these outcomes?
Drawing from Empirical Literature:
1. Integrate specific ideas and findings from recent studies on addiction prevention and policy implementation in college settings. Use these insights to support your proposed strategies.
