Brief motivational interviewing to reduce alcohol consumption among freshmen: secondary effects on polydrug use

Background & Aims: This study investigated high-risk drinking and polydrug use (PU) over 6 months for freshmen college students. Methods: The Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) brief motivational interviewing (BMI) intervention was implemented at a public university as a 3-year programme designed to reduce underage drinking among freshmen with a secondary focus on PU. Participants were 299 freshmen from a state-supported university. Participants attended baseline visit, 2-week, 3- and 6-month visits. Analysis: Paired t-tests were used to determine the differences between alcohol consumption at different time points. McNemar's test was used to compare correlated proportions. Results: At the baseline, 30% of the participants were drinking and using illicit drugs, compared with 25% at the sixth month visit. Conclusion: The findings suggest that a decrease in alcohol consumption will also reduce the probability of PU. These findings can assist in developing health professional strategies for effective use of BMI interventions aimed at alcohol and PU.