An examination of how substance-free college students make sense of their abstinence.

Objective

To examine how U.S. college students who abstain from alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs make sense of their abstinence within campus environments where substance use is normative.

Participants

Participants included 30 college students aged 18-25 (M = 19.9) recruited from two large southeastern U.S. universities.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using the constant comparative method and axial coding, guided by sensemaking theory to examine how students interpret and sustain abstinence.

Results

Five interrelated themes emerged: abstinence as control and success, breaking cycles of harm, religious or moral commitment, an unremarkable lifestyle choice, and a form of peer influence and leadership.

Conclusions

Abstinence functions as an active and sustainable health behavior shaped by social context. Findings highlight opportunities for colleges to better support substance-free students and incorporate their perspectives into prevention and health promotion efforts.