Staging Website
This page is connected to a test database. Data is not necessarily up-to-date and could be wiped out at any time.
Evidence matters. Find policies, programs, and systems changes that are a good fit for your community priorities.

Campus alcohol bans

Evidence Rating
Strategies with this rating have limited research documenting effects. These strategies need further research, often with stronger designs, to confirm effects.
Disparity Rating
No impact on disparities likely
Community Conditions
Alcohol and drug use
Authors
Lead: Bomi Kim Hirsch
Contributor(s): Jessica Rubenstein
Acknowledgements: Kate Austin Stanford, Alison Bergum, Kiersten Frobom, Jane Sachs
Date Last Updated
October 26, 2018

Campus alcohol bans at colleges and universities restrict consumption of alcohol in designated areas. Bans can restrict consumption of alcohol anywhere on campus or only in specific areas such as residence halls or other student housing.

What could this strategy improve?

Expected Benefits

Our evidence rating is based on the likelihood of achieving these outcomes:

  • Reduced excessive drinking
  • Reduced underage drinking

Potential Benefits

Our evidence rating is not based on these outcomes, but these benefits may also be possible:

  • Reduced sexual violence

What does the research say about effectiveness? -+

There is insufficient evidence to determine whether banning alcohol on college campuses reduces underage and excessive drinking. Available evidence suggests campus-wide bans may reduce heavy drinking in some cases (Wechsler 2001a, Fuertes 2016, Walter 2012) and alcohol use overall (Williams 2004), but have no effect on mild or moderate drinking (Fuertes 2016). Banning both alcohol and cigarette use in substance-free student housing may decrease alcohol use (Wechsler 2001b), but alcohol-free student housing alone appears not to reduce alcohol use (Williams 2004, Wechsler 2001b). Alcohol and substance bans in student housing are associated with decreases in unwanted sexual advances, sexual assaults, and property damage (Wechsler 2002, Wechsler 2001b). However, additional evidence is needed to confirm effects (NIAAA-Environmental strategies, Lippy 2016).

Implementation Examples -+

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) provides a directory of alcohol policies from thousands of colleges and universities (NIAAA-College alcohol policies). Mississippi State University, Oklahoma State University, and University of Missouri are examples of public universities with campus-wide bans on alcohol (MSU-Alcohol, OSU-Alcohol, MU-Alcohol).

Implementation Resources -+

CollegeAIM - National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. CollegeAIM: Alcohol intervention matrix.

NIAAA-College alcohol policies - National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). NIAAA college alcohol policies directory.

Citations -+

* Journal subscription may be required for access.

Carthage-AODA policy - Carthage College. Community code: Alcohol and other drug abuse (AODA) policy.

Fuertes 2016* - Fuertes JN, Hoffman A. Alcohol consumption and abuse among college students: Alarming rates among the best and the brightest. College Student Journal. 2016;50(2):236-240.

Lippy 2016 - Lippy C, Degue S. Exploring alcohol policy approaches to prevent sexual violence perpetration. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse. 2016;17(1):26-42.

MSU-Alcohol - Mississippi State University (MSU). Alcohol and illegal drugs.

MU-Alcohol - University of Missouri (MU). Drug and alcohol policy.

NIAAA-College alcohol policies - National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). NIAAA college alcohol policies directory.

NIAAA-Environmental strategies - National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). CollegeAIM: Environmental-level strategies.

OSU-Alcohol - Oklahoma State University (OSU). Do's and don'ts: Social life.

UWS-Code of conduct 18.09 - Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System (UWS). UWS 18.09 Code of conduct: Alcohol and drug prohibitions.

Walter 2012* - Walter G, Kowalczyk J. The effectiveness of alcohol policies in 4-year public universities. Journal of Community Health. 2012;37(2):520-528.

Wechsler 2001a* - Wechsler H, Lee JE, Gledhill-Hoyt J, Nelson TF. Alcohol use and problems at colleges banning alcohol: Results of national survey. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. 2001;62(2):133-41.

Wechsler 2001b* - Wechsler H, Lee JE, Nelson TF, Lee H. Drinking levels, alcohol problems and secondhand effects in substance-free college residences: Results of a national study. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. 2001;62(1):23-31.

Wechsler 2002 - Wechsler H, Eun J, Drph L, et al. Underage college students’ drinking behavior, access to alcohol, and the influence of deterrence policies: Findings from the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study. Journal of American College Health. 2002;50(5):223-236.

Williams 2004* - Williams J, Liccardo R, Chaloupka FJ, Wechsler H. Alcohol and marijuana use among college students: Economic complements or substitutes? Health Economics. 2004;13(9):825-843.

WLC-Statement - Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC). Statement of understanding.