Focus group discussion also revealed that, in the main,  participants

accepted that, despite its popularity, alcohol education had only a modest

impact on reducing harm and, furthermore, that they were prepared to

challenge colleagues, student leaders or opinion formers who argued that

the only necessary or appropriate prevention strategy was to inform or

educate students about the nature of alcohol related harm.  It was also

acknowledged that  educational programmes   whether concerned solely

with alcohol or with broader health promotional matters   did not appear to

interest students or attract large audiences. Discussion on the relative

popularity of these two contrasting approaches to problem prevention was,

as may be gathered from the following quotes, lively: 

The student press people have a great belief in education, and that came

out in the initial alcohol policy: the phrase that  they are adults  and we

should just give them the information and let them [get on with it];  

And I have given them [college authorities] data and, being academics,

they have to accept scientific evidence.  

[Student Health Service Director] 

Now I'm not saying education on its own [works], but I think it needs to

be a component of it, if it's to be successful.   

[Student Service Administrator]

Our health promotion week: the actual number of students who attended

were few and far between. ... It was embarrassing; we had to round up

students to attend, and they weren't interested. The majority of our

students are working on average 10 to 20 hours a week, [including]  their

Saturdays and Sundays.  

[Academic]

However, while agreeing that traditional lectures and awareness raising

seminars were largely unattractive to students, respondents still expressed

some belief in the value of education and described a range of alternative

educational strategies   such as poster campaigns, information stands and

various other  gimmicks    which might have a greater appeal to students: 

The students won't generally come to something directly about alcohol

or drugs so we sneak it in they'll pick up stuff and read it as long as

nobody sees them. 

[Health Promotion Officer]

Although respondents conceded  that educational programmes on their

own had little effect, they still suggested a number of new ideas for future

educational and informational initiatives; these included text messaging, use

of screensavers and health promotion websites, and the provision of

information through lifestyle seminars, study skills, stress management and

alternative therapies and fitness regimes.

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