Your tepid endorsement of social-norms marketing in “College kids and heavy drinking” (Editorial, Sept. 23) as a method to reduce campus drinking might have been more enthusiastic if the flaws in the Harvard study you referenced were pointed out.
Since social-norm marketing–a comprehensive, highly developed message program–is currently in place in only about 200 colleges and universities, it is certain that many of the colleges Harvard surveyed have never implemented a significant social-norm marketing effort.
In fact, many schools that claim to have programs are actually still using the archaic scare-message technique, which directly undermines social norming.
The fact remains that well-implemented social-norms marketing programs have repeatedly proven their effectiveness in reducing underage drinking. Study after study has demonstrated that they work.
