Peer counseling can be especially effective in this area; students are often more willing to share problems, even inadvertently, with other students (NIAAA, 2007). Not much can be done about the social aspects of college life, although efforts can be made through counseling to remind people it's okay to take some time to yourself. Benefits

The benefits of this proposal for increased counseling should be far more effective than education alone; behavior modification techniques have proven most effective in combating alcohol abuse in those of college-age (Shalala, 1995). Beyond reducing alcohol consumption -- and thus improving the health and wellness of our student body and restoring Midwest University's reputation -- this program also aims at the root of the college drinking problem, and the benefits to the student body should be even greater than that which is directly related to alcohol.

Implementation

Peer counselors can be trained during a weekend workshop, with ongoing support and training for the duration of their counseling position. Once the program is running smoothly, peer...

Peer counselors would work on a volunteer basis, so the programs implementation should have little fiscal impact.
Recommendations

It is the recommendation of this task force that a suitable training guide and instructor is found -- either on the Midwest faculty or hired elsewhere for a time -- as soon as possible, and the new role of peer counselors advertised, with active recruiting on the part of the task force. Once a solid group of peer counselors and a number of faculty counselors have undergone training, the program will be self-sustaining. Implementation should be possible within a month, and possibly sooner.

References

NIAA Official Website. (2007). "College drinking prevention." Accessed 21 February 2009. http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/CollegeStudents/

Shalala, D. (1995). "Alcohol alert." National institute on alcohol abuse and alcoholism, 29. Accessed 21 February 2009. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa29.htm