1. Alcohol & Your Goals
Developed by Daniel Ison and Carol Yoken at the Counseling Center
University of Cincinnati

2. What are your goals? ● High Achievement? ● Life-Long Friendships?
● Meaningful Romantic Relationship?
● Family Happiness?

3. ● Grad School?
● A Great Job?
● Daily Satisfaction?
● Personal Serenity?

4. Personal Goals My goals are: 1. _______________________
2. _______________________
3. _______________________

5. Your Drinking & Your Goals
Is your drinking consistent with your goals?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Maybe
d. Not Sure

6. What is causing the (in)consistency?
My drinking is/is not consistent with my goals because:
___________________________________

7. Why do students drink? Some people say they drink in order to:
Have a good time or celebrate with friends.
Relax or relieve tension.
Make friends or fit in.
Cope with boredom, loneliness, or sadness.

8. How about you? Why do you drink?
_________________________________

9. Most things in life have
Cost & Benefits
Most things in life have
costs and benefits.

10. Cost/Benefit Analysis
What are the benefits (positive effects) of your drinking?
1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
4. ______________________________
5. ______________________________
6. ______________________________

11. Cost/Benefit Analysis
What are the costs (negative effects) of your drinking?
1. _____________________________
2. _____________________________
3. _____________________________
4. _____________________________
5. _____________________________
6. _____________________________

12. Cost/Benefit Analysis
How do your costs and benefits compare?
My drinking causes a lot of problems and very little good comes out of it.
My drinking causes some problems, but I seem to get some benefits from it.
My drinking causes few problems or benefits.
My drinking causes no problems with some benefits.

13. Identifying Goal-Limiting Drinking
Researchers have developed screening questionnaires to determine if a person’s drinking is impairing his/her functioning.
The World Health Organization has created the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).

14. Questions from the AUDIT:
During the past year have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because you had been drinking?
Have you or someone else been injured as a result of your drinking?
Has a relative, friend, doctor, or other health worker been concerned about your drinking or suggested that you cut down?

15. Your Goals vs. Your Drinking
Has drinking ever gotten in the way of your academic success or career goals? Has drinking alcohol ever caused or intensified problems in your relationships? If so, how?:
____________________________________

16. Ambivalence
According to Miller and Rollnick (1991), ambivalence occurs when a person has coexisting but conflicting feelings about something.
Example: I want to do well at work, but I also want to party whenever I want.

17. Exploring Your Ambivalence
Which statement best describes you?
If I want to achieve my goals, I will need to cut back my drinking.
If I continue drinking at this level, I will put my goals at risk.
My drinking does not obstruct my goals, but only because my goals are so low.
I have big goals, and I make sure my drinking does not get in the way.
Other______________________________

18. Strategies to Keep My Drinking from Getting in the Way of My Goals.

19. When drinking, I will drink less than one drink per hour

20. I will designate a driver or take a cab

21. I will not drink the night before something important.

22. Three is my limit.

23. What are your strategies?

24. Making Changes

25. What are reasons for adopting new drinking behaviors?
_______________________

26. What would improve if you drank less?
______________________

27. What encourages you to drink less?
_____________________

28. If you decided to reduce your drinking, what potential obstacles do you foresee?
_______________________

29. How would you overcome those obstacles?
_______________________

30. Are you ready to make a change?

31. Making a Commitment
to Drinking Less

32. Make a Plan My first two steps towards drinking less:
________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________

33. Put Your Plan Into Action
Visualize Yourself Putting the New Behaviors into Practice

34. Put Your Plan Into Action
Use the Buddy System: Tell a Supportive Friend about Your Plan and Be Accountable

35. Put Your Plan Into Action
Never Give Up: If You Fall Short Once,
Don’t Throw the Plan Away. Keep Trying!

36. References & Further Reading Material
Babor, T.F., de la Fluente, J.R., Saunders, J., Grant, M. (1992). AUDIT: The alcohol use disorders identification test: Guidelines for use in primary care. World Health Organization: Geneva.
Miller, W.R. & Rollnick, S. (1991). Motivational interviewing: Preparing people to change addictive behavior. Guilford Press: New York.
Blood Alcohol Calculator
College Drinking—Changing the Culture
Facts About Alcohol & Drugs for College Students