Intercollegiate Athletics and Alcohol and Other Drug Concerns: Proceedings of an Invitational Symposium

By Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention

In March 1999 the U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, held a symposium to examine the questions: Are college athletics inadvertently contributing to alcohol and other drug problems on campuses and in surrounding communities and, if so, what measures can mitigate the extent of such problems? Campus administrators (including two college presidents), faculty, students, health policy analysts, and others considered experiences from campuses ranging in size from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I to Division III.

The proceedings report includes 11 recommendations offered by the participants, including the following: The NCAA, in response to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala’s January 1998 challenge, should reassess its policies for accepting alcohol advertising and sponsorship; and schools should (1) enforce consistent alcohol control measures for public events to avoid double standards; (2) engage their surrounding communities in collaborative prevention activities; and (3) examine the pros and cons of acceptance of support from the alcohol industry in whatever form, including so-called "responsible drinking" campaigns.

Published by: Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention Order Info

Price: Free
(55 pp.)