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(EurekAlert) The transition to college brings new independence, social networks, and opportunities to use alcohol and cannabis, making the first weeks and months a critical time for prevention.
To help students delay or prevent substance use initiation and prevent increased use during the transition to college, researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington are developing and testing a digital intervention for first-year students.
The project, funded by a five-year, $3.25 million award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, is led by UT Arlington’s Studying Alcohol and Related Risks (STARR) Lab, which focuses on developing and evaluating innovative approaches to preventing and reducing substance use among adolescents and young adults.
“The literature shows that the first six to eight weeks — and really the entire first semester — are a particularly risky period for students, who are entering a new environment with new opportunities, new social situations, and new choices related to alcohol and cannabis,” said Melissa Lewis, co-investigator and professor at UTA’s School of Social Work. “What's unique about this grant is that it aims to intervene during that high-risk period while students are adapting to college life.”