This dissertation presents three separate studies designed to provide structure and evidence-based insight into the characteristics associated with responsible drinking. First, a primer on the responsible drinking message will be presented discussing: (a) the origins and evolution of this message, (b) alcohol product advertisements evincing a responsible drinking prevention message, and (c) practical and ethical concerns associated with brewer-sponsored responsible drinking campaigns. Additionally, the primer will also present systematic reviews of twenty (n=20) empirical studies utilizing the responsible drinking concept to determine the manner in which researchers currently conceptualize and explain characteristics of responsible drinking in their reports. Secondly, a qualitative examination of college students’ beliefs, motivations, intentions, and behaviors regarding responsible drinking will be presented. Employing an emergent design, the data collection process encompassed four focus group sessions and three separate, personal interviews. The final sample size comprised thirteen individuals (Focus Group n=10; Personal Interview n=3). A conceptual model will also be proposed to assist in interpreting the qualitative findings and theorizing about factors influencing intentions to drink responsibly. Lastly, drawing upon the theoretical model and qualitative findings, the development and rigorous psychometric testing of a web-based instrument - Characteristics of Responsible Drinking Survey (CHORDS) – will be discussed. Zoomerang™ served as the host-site for both the pilot- and final testing phases of the CHORDS. The final sample (n=729) comprised a random set of individuals drawn from all currently enrolled students (undergraduate and graduate) attending Texas A&M University (TAMU) in College Station. Principal components exploratory factor analysis revealed the CHORDS consists of five scales (61 total items) whose scores exhibit high internal consistency reliability. These scales include: Behavioral Beliefs, Motivation, Self-Efficacy, Barriers and Behavioral Intention. Scales were found to measure the same underlying construct, as outlined in the theoretical model. Prior to this study, scientific literature contained no scholarly attempts to distinguish responsible drinking characteristics; no theoretically-based explanation or examination of the interactions among responsible drinking variables; and no instruments expressly intended to measure responsible drinking intentions. Thus, this study represents the first step toward addressing the limitations associated with responsible drinking and filling the apparent conceptual gaps.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the drinking water quality of Kaohsiung city and its cancer risk potential to residents using city water. In this study, water qualities from different locations and seasons were collected and compared with drinking water quality standards. Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), which is the byproduct of disinfection process, has become one of the major concerns due to its high cancer risk potential. TTHM is composed of trichloromethane (TCM), dichlorbromomethane (BDCM), dibromochloromethane (DBCM), and tribromo methane (TBM), and the drinking water standard for TTHM is 0.1 mg/L. Effective on July 1, 2006, this standard will be revised to 0.08 mg/L, which is adopted from U.S. EPA. In this study, tap water quality data were provided from the technical office of Environmental protection Bureau, Kaohsiung City. These data were collected quarterly in 2004 and 2005 from 50 locations in the city water net system. Moreover, health and risk assessment models developed by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were used for cancer risk calculation. Results from the water quality evaluation indicate that drinking water quality meets with the standards regulated by government. Except for TTHM, results show that sampling locations and seasons did not have significant influence on the variations in other water quality parameters. Results of health and risk assessment of TTHM show that inhalation is the major route of risk exposure, which contributes 80.84% of the cancer risk. The dermal contact only contributes about 0.36% of the cancer risk. Among those four components of TTHM, TCM had higher detected concentrations. However, the major cancer risk came from BDCM and DBCM. Results reveal that the Chijin District (located at the end pipe area) of Kaohsiung city had the highest TTHM cancer risk (3.82¡Ñ10-4), whereas Sanmin District (located at the front pipe area) got the lowest risk (4.10¡Ñ10-5). The averaged TTHM health risk for the general public in Kaohsiung is about 1.50¡Ñ10-4. This calculated risk is much higher than the acceptable risk value (¡Ø10-6) recommended by US EPA. Thus, more stringent standards and more effective treatment technologies should be adopted by related authorities.

Concentrations of As, Al, and other heavy metals (Cr¡BMn¡BFe¡BNi¡BCu¡BZn¡BGa¡BSe¡BSr¡BAg¡BCd¡BIn¡BSb¡BBa¡BHg¡BTl¡BPb¡BU) were measured in drinking waters in southern Taiwan. The analysis, using high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, indicated that concentrations of all elements were generally far below the maximum allowed concentration. The species of distribution of concentration were showed as follows (1) lower than 1£gg/L are Pb¡BTl¡BHg and Cd , (2) lower than 10£gg/L are Ni¡BGa¡BAs¡BSe¡BAg¡BIn¡BSb and U, (3) lower than 100£gg/L are Cr¡BCu¡BZn and Mn, (4) lower than 1000£gg/L are Al¡BFe¡BSr and Ba. Above results indicated that the concentrations of heavy meatals mostly are lower than Drinking Water Standard, except that Fe. The average removal index of advanced treatment process is 0.94 which is lower than 4.3 of conventional treatment process. It shows that the removal ability of advanced treatment process for heavy metals is higher than that of conventional treatment process. In addition Al¡BMn¡BFe¡BSr and Ba are the major heavy metals both in surface water and groundwater.

Thesis (M.A.)--Kent State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Jan 22, 2010). Advisor: Dan Neal. Keywords: Drinking Motives; Affect; Electronic Diary. Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-60).

Thesis--Harvard, 1944. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 355-363).

Thesis--Helsinki. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.) in Ecology and Environmental Sciences--University of Maine, 2002. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 38-41).

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-54).

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 1999. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-114). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ56176

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 121 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-121).