Asking a question invites your readers to become participants in the conversation. At the end of his introduction, featured writer Dwight Haynes asks a question and invites his readers to take an interest in his evaluation of programs that aim to prevent binge drinking.

Over the past few decades, alcohol consumption among college students has received a great deal of attention. Despite humorous portrayals of college parties and the drunken antics depicted in movies and on television, serious concerns have been raised about health, safety, and academic issues associated with heavy drinking on campus. Most alarming, excessive levels of drinking are thought to cause between 1,400 and 1,700 student deaths each year (Jaschik, 2009). Also significant are the physical harm and violent behavior that tend to arise from heavy drinking: 500,000 students each year sustain injuries as a result of alcohol use, and another 600,000 per year report being victims of alcohol-fueled assaults, including rape (Wechsler et al., 2003). Heavy drinking has been blamed for a host of other problems as well, including vandalism, alcohol poisoning, and academic failure. Rather than waiting until after students suffer the consequences of alcohol abuse to intervene, colleges have found that preventative programs can teach better habits and help students avoid the problems caused by underage or irresponsible drinking. What kinds of approaches are colleges using to reduce student drinking, and how well do they work?