Foreword

The National Working Group on Alcohol in Higher Education grew out of a deep concern

among a group of committed people, drawn from twenty Higher Education Institutions and

the Union of Students in Ireland, that increased alcohol consumption was having a very

deleterious effect on the health, social life and academic performance of our third level

students.  The Working Group set itself the immediate task of drawing up guidelines for

policies aimed at reducing alcohol related harm in third level higher education institutions.

Following widespread consultations, the National Working Group delivered on its objective

in October 2001 when the Minister for Health and Children launched the Framework for

Developing a College Alcohol Policy. 

The framework document has since been the foundation stone for significant actions and

policies on reducing alcohol related harm that have been implemented across the third level

education sector.  Twenty two institutions became involved in a variety of actions and

written policies are in place in eighteen institutions.  Whilst there has to date been a strong

focus on policy measures relating to the control of sale and advertising of alcohol, we are

pleased to report that there are also actions underway in other areas.  Some institutions

have, for example, provided alcohol free social spaces, educational interventions and

substituted funding for drinks industry sponsorships of student organisations and events;

and brief intervention training has been provided to student health service personnel.

These types of actions are in line with the policy mix advocated in the framework document.

One of the studies in this review  A Qualitative Evaluation of the College Alcohol Policy

Initiative  gives a comprehensive picture of the sectoral position in relation to policy

implementation, and its recommendations provide a roadmap for institutions towards a

more wholesome approach to policy implementation.       

The College Lifestyle and Attitudinal National (CLAN) Survey reaffirms that increased alcohol

consumption is linked to patterns of risky behaviour, mental health issues and unhealthy

lifestyle choices.  But CLAN is not only about alcohol, it is a comprehensive study of the

lifestyle, health status and health attitudes of our students.  The CLAN findings will therefore

be of major interest to the management of educational institutions, decision makers in

health services, bodies responsible for the development of social policy, student leadership

and many others.  Above all, these studies provide a basis on which to move forward on

student health and lifestyle issues. They provide the evidential basis to educational

institutions on the need to implement brief intervention programmes in their health services,

the need to give high priority to health promotion activity on campuses on the basis of

recognised professional guidelines, and the need to support such activity with meaningful

resources.  In the area of alcohol policies these studies should provide the encouragement

to institutions to support control measures with strong environmental based actions and

preventative supports.

Finally, I would like to thank all the students and staff in the institutions who participated in

the study.  I would like also to thank the Health Promotion Unit, Department of Health and

Children who funded the studies and provided the expertise to guide the CLAN study in

partnership with researchers from NUI, Galway and to Trinity College for the evaluation of

the college alcohol policy initiative.

iii

Matt Doran, Chairperson 

National Working Group on Alcohol in Higher Education