Objective: To collect and analyze campus alcohol policies (CAPs), a first "line of defense" for protecting students from alcohol-related harm, from post-secondary schools.
Participants: A national probability sample of 45 post-secondary schools, stratified by length of undergraduate program (two versus four-year), region, and school size.
Methods: CAPs were scored in three areas: (1) compliance with federal law; (2) clarity of language; and (3) effectiveness. Bivariate regression models tested whether and how policies varied by institution-level characteristics.
Results: Most schools (76%) complied with federal alcohol policy requirements but used "very difficult" language. "Wet" campuses in the Northeast scored the lowest for policy effectiveness, while "dry" campuses with more housing tended to have stronger policies.
Conclusions: CAPs actively shape campus drinking environments, but effective ones are unevenly utilized. Future research should explore the impact of CAPs and state alcohol policy environments on specific alcohol-related consequences, both for student drinkers and students experiencing harms from others' drinking.
Keywords: Alcohol; campus alcohol policy; college.