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What is the Smart Women Smart Choices program?

Smart Women Smart Choices is a FREE self-guided change program for women who are sexually active and drink alcohol, even once in a while.

The goals of the program are to decrease “risky” or “dangerous” drinking and increase effective birth control use so that women can avoid unwanted sex, STIs, unintended pregnancy, alcohol-exposed pregnancy and other safety and health risks.

Who's Eligible For The Program?

The program is designed for:

  • Reducing women’s drinking to safer levels and/or improving their effective use of birth control can significantly reduce their risks.College students and college educated women between the ages of 18-24 years of age.
  • Women who risk drink, but are not alcohol dependent. 
  • Women who are older and are at risk for unintended and alcohol-exposed pregnancy may also benefit from the program.

To learn more about young women’s alcohol-related risks, download the following information:

How Does The Program Work?

  • Women contact the program educator after visiting the program website, iPartySmarter.com.
  • The Smart Women Smart Choices program recognizes and builds on the strengths of women who risk drink and supports their ability to change.Women receive education materials delivered in an independent self-study format via Internet, phone, mail and email technologies.
  • The workbook guides women through a series of steps to determine their unintended pregnancy and alcohol-related risks, and then to develop a personal plan for change.
  • The program educator contacts the women at 1 and 4 months to offer support and resources to make and maintain the change.
  • Women are assumed to be in charge of their decision to change and are provided tools to design a plan that suits their personal circumstances and preferences.
  • Women are successful if they change either their drinking or their contraceptive use, thereby reducing their alcohol related risks including unintended and alcohol-exposed pregnancy.

What Are The Benefits To Women?

Since most problem drinkers do not consider themselves alcoholics and many change their drinking on their own, this program offers women an option to reduce their alcohol- related risks through a self-guided change process.

  • The program’s multimedia delivery and independent self-change format offer women a private, practical, and attractive opportunity to explore behavior change at their own pace.
  • The program allows greater convenience and privacy than a face-to-face program.
  • Women living in more remote locations or have transportation issues may access the program via a variety of media including email, Internet and phone.
  • Women may choose to address their own drinking problems on their own.

Contact program staff with questions about the website or program by email at: AEPP@health.state.mn.us

Do you know a woman 18-24 years of age who is risk drinking? Tell her about the FREE Smart Women Smart Choices program.

Refer her to the iPartySmarter.com website.

Free Program Brochure
Download and print a free brochure to promote the program to women; About the Smart Women Smart Choices Program (PDF: 90KB/2 pages).

 

Why The Program Was Developed?

  • Researchers think that there are four times as many adults who are risky or problem drinkers than seriously dependent drinkers. However, the current U.S. alcohol treatment system is designed to serve dependent drinkers.
  • Self guided-change programs provide a more appropriate and practical alternative for risk drinkers who are willing to explore their drinking.

What Are The Research Underpinnings For The Smart Women Smart Choices Program?

  • Behavior change strategies and educational materials from these studies were adapted from a face-to-face format to self-paced materials that women can complete on their own.

The program is based on the principles of “natural recovery” and “self change” for problem drinkers?

  • Drs. Linda and Mark Sobell have been pioneers in developing the theory and process for self-change behavior programs for people with alcohol and other substance abuse problems.
  • Their research indicates that risk drinker’s unique traits and strengths give them the power to independently resolve their drinking problem. The Smart Women Smart Choices program recognizes and builds on the strengths of women who risk drink and supports their ability to change.
  • Information about a self-change intervention for problem drinkers can be found online, Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2002 Jun;26(6):936-48.

The program integrates the principles and practices developed in the alcohol research and treatment field.
The program methods and tools are based on the keystones of behavior change theory.
For more information on motivational interviewing, see the following online resources:

For more information on stages of change theory, see the following online resources:

To learn more about the principles of natural recovery and self-guided change, About Risk Drinking & Self-Change (PDF: 88KB/2 pages).

To learn more about the Smart Women Smart Choices Program, download  About the Smart Women Smart Choices Program for Women (PDF: 99KB/4 pages)

 

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The Smart Women Smart Choices program and iPartySmarter website are created and managed by the Minnesota Department of Health with funds from the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.