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CORVALLIS, Ore. -  Oregon State University will convene a town hall meeting from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 3 to discuss high-risk drinking and its related negative impacts. During the town hall, OSU will unveil results from the spring 2016 National College Health Assessment (NCHA). For the first time since the university began administering the survey in 2002, OSU is below national rates of high-risk drinking.

The town hall will be held in the Club Level of Reser Stadium. Educators, healthcare providers, student leaders, students in recovery, public officials and other community members will discuss the negative impacts of high-risk drinking and share information and ideas about ways to address them as a community.

Campus and community experts will give an overview of factors contributing to a 29 percent reduction in high-risk alcohol use from 2012 to 2016. OSU will report on the challenges to future improvements and the need to enhance collaboration with specific student groups such as sororities and fraternities. 

Frances Harding, director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention within the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, will be present to provide her expertise on the power of a strong town and gown relationship to create safer and healthier communities.

"The university has significantly invested in reducing high-risk drinking and improving our neighborhoods through new policies, education, and intervention services for students," said Robert Reff, director of prevention, advocacy and wellness efforts at OSU.

A new report released by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), found full-time college students are far more likely to be current (past month) alcohol drinkers than others their age, and more likely to engage in past month binge drinking. College students between the ages of 18-25 have higher rates of substance use and abuse than any other demographic nationwide.

The town hall represents further commitment by the university to understand the issues that OSU students and the surrounding community face and to collaborate with all stakeholders on solutions.

Community members who attend the town hall can express concerns to OSU, the City of Corvallis and Benton County through town hall feedback forms, which will be discussed at the Corvallis Community Relations Advisory Group at 7 p.m. on Nov. 14, in the Madison Ave. meeting room.