What works in prevention

Join Together posted a pair of articles today that are interesting because of their contrast.

One on the ineffectiveness of anti-tobacco scare tactics:

The Cancer Council study also found that the labels were highly recognized among youths, with 77 percent of students saying they had seen the cigarette packaging with the graphic images.

The newspaper spoke to service station owners who confirmed that young people often ask for packs with specific images when they purchase cigarettes. Benton added about one of the images, "If you cut out the picture of the rotten mouth you can stick it over your own teeth; it's a good joke."

And, another on the move toward social norms strategies on college campuses:

At Virginia Commonwealth University, although surveys have shown that 25 percent of students don't drink at all and 70 percent don't drink at high-risk levels, many students believe the highly visible unhealthy behaviors they sometimes encounter reflect a wider phenomenon on campus.

"The majority who don't get hammered don't get seen," said Linda Hancock, director of the university's Wellness Resource Center.