Counseling and Wellness Services is unveiling the newest social norms marketing campaign funded by the NCAA Choices grant. Social norms marketing campaigns have been shown to be effective in reducing high-risk drinking and are being used at colleges nationwide to help prevent negative consequences associated with alcohol misuse and abuse. The social norms phenomenon asserts that college students grossly overestimate other college students' drinking behaviors. According to data from the CORE survey administered in fall 2007, our UWF students are no different. They believe their peers drink more frequently than they actually do.

A series of five posters has been developed for the 2008-2009 social norms marketing campaign and related research project. The posters will be displayed on the Pensacola campus depicting UWF students supporting healthy messages related to alcohol. To learn more about social norms marketing campaigns, and the UWF campaign in particular, visit the Counseling and Wellness Services Web site at http://www.uwf.edu/cws/socialnorms/index.cfm.

We are pleased to see these valuable strategies being implemented on our campus. We hope you will take notice of this very important campaign. Alcohol misuse and abuse is an issue that impacts all of us. Talk with students about the messages and encourage them to make healthy choices!

Feel free to contact Mica Harrell, assistant director of Health Promotion Services, at Ext. 2420 with any questions or for more information about the campaign.

Sincerely,

Judith Bense, Ph.D. President

Debbie Ford, Ed.D. Vice President for Student Affairs

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