UCLA Impact Project

The Westside Impact Project at UCLA is a campus/community coalition working to reduce alcohol-related harms at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). The project’s objective is to lower binge drinking rates, as well as the use of other substances, within the UCLA student body, resulting in a safe and healthy campus environment where alcohol- and drug-related harms are minimized.

The project uses evidence-informed strategies, including the sponsorship of high-quality late-night activities and social events on campus that have the power to draw students away from drinking parties during high-risk times of the year.

To advocate for such change, IPS’s campus-community coalition developed a 14-page white paper about late-night programming for distribution to UCLA administrators and other high-level stakeholders. The report contains case studies of successful programs at other universities, with specific recommendations for UCLA. In partnership with UCLA students, UCLA staff and community members, the coalition also conducts a messaging campaign aimed at changing attitudes and perceptions about excessive alcohol use.

Support for the project is built through speaking engagements and tabling events where project staff present data about alcohol-related harms at UCLA, as well as examples of effective interventions. These include the kinds of late-night events the university could sponsor to help meet students’ social needs.