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Ohio University Reports A Drop in High Risk Drinking Behavior


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Ohio University's Division of Student Affairs says high risk drinking among its students is down by 15 percent over a period of six years.

According to results of the Alcohol and Other Drug survey (AOD) released Tuesday high risk drinking behaviors dropped from 78 percent in 2007 to 63 percent in 2013.

The survey was conducted online and had 1,262 respondents from an undergraduate population of 17,007 students. 

The AOD is conducted biannually by the area of Health Promotion in the Campus Involvement Center.

"We are very pleased to see this continued decline in high-risk drinking rates among Ohio University students," said Ryan Lombardi, vice president of Student Affairs.

Lombardi credits the decrease to a number of university initiatives, including a mandatory alcohol awareness course for all first-year students.

The survey found 53 percent of students report having five or fewer drinks per week. In addition, 70 percent of students report not using tobacco products.

Lombardi says this isn't the end of the effort.

"There is still work to be done, but these data show that the trend is moving in the right direction," he said