Alcohol education programs for university students: a review of their effectiveness.

A review of the experimental evidence concerning the effectiveness of 14 alcohol education programs for university students suggests that such programs, in spite of weaknesses in their experimental evaluation, offer the promise of significant impact on college students' reported alcohol-related behavior, as well as on their attitudes and knowledge. Programs are more likely to be effective if they include field (or laboratory) experience, as well as factual and experiential strategies, and if they occur over an extended period of time.