Date of Award

January 2018

Degree Type

Open Access Dissertation

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

First Advisor

Sherwood Thompson

Department Affiliation

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Second Advisor

Norman W. Powell

Department Affiliation

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Third Advisor

J. Matthew Webster

Department Affiliation

Other

Abstract

Binge drinking has become a matter of public health. The legal drinking age is 21 in the United States; however, binge drinking by underage college students is prevalent, alarming, and consequential (Malloy & Goldman, 2002). This polarizing topic has caused great concern among policy makers, legal experts, constituents and organizations alike, and as a result they have acted with a sense of urgency to implement policies and evidence-based recommendations for prevention and treatment (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Alcohol and Health, 1990).

The purpose of this study was to examine the current alcohol policy initiatives among four post-secondary institutions in the State of Kentucky. First, an Alcohol & Drug Educator was identified to determine the content of their current alcohol policies and if they contained evidence-based strategies to include treatment and prevention. A secondary purpose of this study examined the university policies to determine if those said policies were being monitored for fidelity and effectiveness as well as to assess Alcohol and Drug Educators& perceptions of these policies.

Findings revealed that each college campus must identify content experts to model evidence-based interventions to reduce binge drinking. Policy makers, college presidents and college administrators should be charged with the undertaking of creating collective collaboration in an effort to secure allocated funding to eliminate the fiscal and budgetary constraints that are prohibiting effective interventions and eliminate the disconnect that exist with fulfilling the requirements of both, the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act and 952 of the HERA Act.

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