MADD seeks to partner with students, faculty, administrators, law enforcement, parents and community stakeholders to address college alcohol-related problems. Seeing as there is no single strategy that can eliminate dangerous and illegal drinking behaviors in a college community, everyone must work in partnership to organize, plan and implement a comprehensive course of action.
The goals of MADD’s college initiatives are to:
- Prevent alcohol use for those under the legal drinking age of 21
- Reduce and eliminate illegal and high-risk drinking behaviors for those of legal drinking age
- Activate students to engage in effective strategies by partnering them with campus and community leaders
- Provide resources and assistance to campus and community law enforcement, community members, faculty and staff and parents
MADD engages in proven strategies that address the student body as a whole, including those that address:
- Widespread availability of alcoholic beverages to underage and intoxicated students
- Aggressive social and commercial promotion of alcohol
- Inconsistent publicity and enforcement of laws and campus policies
- Student perceptions of heavy alcohol use as the norm
MADD has developed our college initiatives and a UMADD Web site to provide resources and practical tips for individuals and groups interested in addressing collegiate alcohol-related problems.
Statistics and Implications
Alcohol misuse among college students affects individual drinkers themselves – as well as other students, faculty members, the college and the community as a whole. Statistics from a 2005 study highlight the scope and impact of the problem in college across the country:
- 1,700 college students between the ages of 18-24 die each year from alcohol misuse.
- 97,000 college students reported cases of sexual abuse because of alcohol use.
- 696,000 reported cases of students being assaulted by someone who had been drinking.
- 599,000 college students unintentional injuries blamed on alcohol use.
(Study conducted by Ralph Hingson et al, 2005)
UMADD STUDENT GROUPS
A UMADD student group partners college students with campus leaders to address the challenges of underage drinking, high-risk drinking and impaired driving. Working with a dedicated faculty advisor, UMADD groups can play an active role in creating a safer campus and community.
UMADD MINI-GRANTS
Thanks to the generous support of the CarMax Foundation, MADD is offering qualifying groups a mini-grant to help implement evidence-based prevention programs that focus on college-related drinking problems on campuses and/or in the surrounding communities.
Visit the UMADD Web site to learn more about applying for a mini-grant.
CARMAX FOUNDATIONThe CarMax Foundation has been the National Sponsor of the UMADD program since 2004. The CarMax Foundation has invested more than $4 million in the communities they serve through volunteers, matching gifts, grants, and disaster relief.