The Southern Conference will be the first Division I conference to launch the myPlaybook program, an innovative educational approach to combating alcohol and other drug use among student-athletes. Division II initiated a pilot program last fall.

The Southern Conference program will target freshmen student-athletes at the conference’s 12 member schools in fall 2009. The Web-based course will focus on the effects of alcohol and marijuana use and includes interactive learning exercises and detailed information specific to student-athletes (NCAA-banned substances, drug testing). The program includes pre- and post-test surveys to measure success, provide immediate student-athlete feedback and tools to track progress.

“Our membership believes in this project and committed to it on a conference-wide basis at our league meetings in May,” said Commissioner John Iamarino. “We are looking forward to working with (program creator David) Wyrick to better educate our freshmen student-athletes on the dangers and risks of alcohol and drug abuse.”

The 2008 pilot program in Division II surveyed more than 2,500 freshman student-athletes at 60 schools. The post-test survey showed student-athletes gained knowledge of NCAA drug-testing procedures and banned substances, negative alcohol expectancies and negative marijuana expectancies. The program also showed decreases in the prevalence and frequency of binge drinking in the previous two weeks and an increased intention to use harm prevention strategies related to alcohol use.

The National Center for Drug Free Sport, the NCAA and the Southern Conference will fund the program. The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the UNC Greensboro Department of Public Health Education and Prevention Strategies, LLC, will also support the program.