David Anderson is a professor of recreation, health and tourism at George Mason University, and is the director of Mason’s Center for the Advancement of Public Health. Anderson co-authors national surveys on drug and alcohol prevention efforts at the college, community college and high school levels. Prior to arriving at GMU in 1987, he served as a student affairs administrator at Ohio University, Radford University and Ohio State University.
How did you get into the alcohol research field?
[At Ohio State], it felt like the mindset of the young people was, “There’s one socializing behavior, and it’s drinking.” And that seemed to be narrow. The point is, I saw so much of an emphasis on alcohol as the socializing vehicle, and I saw so much potential being thwarted.
What are some interesting things you’ve found out in your studies?
The No. 1 reason teens give for drinking or not drinking is “emotional personality,” and the No. 1 reason parents give is “family reasons.” So family was not a big winner from the teen perspective. … I think that’s a theme that comes through.
What’s different now versus when you started your career?
Thirty years ago, 80 percent were drinking, and 40 percent had been drinking heavily. The majority of drinkers [today] are heavy drinkers. Over the last 30 years, there’s been an increasingly enormous amount of alcohol and campus problems. Campus efforts have not grown proportionate to our effort.
What distinguishes your research from that of others?
The methodology is a blend of research and cultural anthropology. There’s also a heavy dose of qualitative analysis — the talking with people is different. We’re doing focus groups. We’re asking a series of questions: “Why do those who drink, drink?” “What messages are you hearing from parents/peers?” It’s not, “Tell me what you do and how much.” It’s, “What’s popular to drink?” “How do you get it?” The heart and soul of the research is listening to youth.
