Alcohol Education for Youths: Lab-based Experience
In an effort to reduce underage drinking and alcohol abuse, Boston University School of Medicine’s (BUSM) CityLab program in collaboration with Boston University School of Public Health, completed the first phase of a pilot curriculum for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The pilot, titled “Alcohol Education for Youths: A Laboratory-Based Experience,” took place over a three-day period at Archbishop Williams High School in Braintree, Mass. earlier this year. The focus was to help high school students develop an understanding of the physiological effects of alcohol on the body through scientific investigation.
The first phase of the pilot program involved two groups of students. A focus group, consisting of seven ninth and tenth graders, met with the Boston University CityLab team in early April to learn about the curriculum and provide feedback on what they viewed as important for creating a meaningful alcohol program for high school students.
A second group of nineteen students participated in the curriculum pilot. They sought to explain the high risk behaviors associated with alcohol use among adolescents. The students began the exercise by comparing the behavior of normal mice and mice under the influence of alcohol. Later, students investigated the journey of alcohol through the body. They worked in the laboratory where they discovered how the enzyme-alcohol dehydrogenase becomes less effective at breaking down alcohol as the concentration of alcohol increases, resulting in an increase of blood alcohol level.
The students actively participated in the process of scientific investigation, including experimental design and data analysis to gain a better understanding of alcohol’s effect on the body. “The goal of the curriculum is to provide students with a deeper understanding of basic science as it relates to the physiological and behavioral effects of alcohol through the process of scientific investigation. Our hope is that students will make informed and responsible decisions about alcohol use.” explained Dr. Donald DeRosa, director of CityLab at BUSM.
This program aims to present data which supports the damage alcohol causes at the molecular level in a relevant way to stop under-age drinking. Plans are underway to expand the pilot program to include all freshman biology classes for the 2009-2010 school year. Curriculum that explores toxicity, a basic understanding of neuroscience, and the effects of alcohol on the brain and behavior will be introduced. Test results from the pilot program along with data collected through surveys and interviews suggest that students acquired a deeper understanding of the physiological effects of alcohol. “This focus group was very informative. The CityLab Program explained the physiological effects of alcohol to students,” said Lydia Sands, Archbishop Williams High School student. “I believe this will be an effective way to teach students about the abuse of alcohol,” said Sands.
“Overall, this program gave our students another reason to love science and see its relevance in daily decision making,” said Jane Funderburk, Academic Dean of AWHS. “This outstanding program is on track to be placed in schools across the nation,” explained Dr. Carmen Mariano, President of AWHS. “Our school will be forever proud of the role we played in its growth,” said Mariano.