Multi-Component Breath Alcohol Intervention Phase 3

• Alcohol-related mobile health technologies (Device), also known as Smartphone Breathalyzer, BAC Estimator App, Self-Texting App: Participants will be asked to use the mobile technologies as they choose while drinking for a four-week period.
• Motivational interview and psychoeducation on blood/breath alcohol concentration (Behavioral), also known as M.I.: Brief 25/30-minute motivational interview and psychoeducation on blood/breath alcohol concentration that includes both personalized and standardized information.
• Lower tech facilitation (Behavioral): Study staff will review instructions for technology use closely with participants and guide them in use of existing phone technologies as reminders for use of the three moderate drinking technologies during drinking situations.
• Higher tech facilitation (Behavioral), also known as SmartSip: Participants will use an app developed during the study, SmartSip, that will provide protective behavioral strategies and reminders for use of the three moderate drinking technologies during drinking situations.
• Alcohol Education (Behavioral): Brief 25/30-minute psychoeducation on generalized alcohol use providing information about alcohol and its effects, adapted from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Rethinking Drinking resources
• Alcohol Education Technology (Device): Participants will be able to prompt text messages which will provide them one-off trivia facts using information provided during the attention control psychoeducation session

Primary outcomes

• Technology utilization [4-week field use period]: Percentage of reported drinking days on which one reports that moderate drinking technology use has occurred
• Acceptability [4-week field use period]: Score on acceptability subscale of Modified System Usability Scale
• Usability [4-week field use period]: Score on acceptability subscale of Modified System Usability Scale

Secondary outcomes

• Drinks per drinking day [4-week field use period]: Number of drinks per day during field testing period
• Estimated blood alcohol content [4-week field use period]: Average estimated blood alcohol content reached on drinking days
• Negative Consequences [4-week field use period]: Score on the Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire

Sex: All, ages: 18 Years to 25 Years, accepts healthy volunteers

1. Be between the ages of 18-25
2. Be able to read English and complete study evaluations
3. Report at least four days with heavy episodic drinking (i.e., 4 or more drinks for women and 5 or more drinks for men) out of the prior 30 days
4. Report having consumed at least one alcoholic drink during a minimum of 12 days out of the prior 30 so that subjects will have multiple opportunities to use the moderate drinking technologies during the intervention period.
5. Meet, at minimum, DSM-5 criteria for a mild alcohol use disorder (i.e., meet at least 2 diagnostic criteria)
6. Self-report interest in using a smartphone app to help reduce drinking with a score of at least 3 on a 0-10 scale indicating at least a degree of openness to using technology to moderate drinking.

Exclusion Criteria

No subject may:

1. Have been in inpatient or intensive outpatient treatment within the past 12 months
2. Have used a smartphone application to facilitate moderate drinking more than 1 time within the past 12 months
3. Meet DSM-5 criteria for current substance use disorder with the exception of tobacco use disorder, mild or moderate alcohol use disorder or mild cannabis use disorder.
4. History of alcohol withdrawal or medically-assisted detoxification as individuals with this history will likely be in need of more intensive treatment than is offered in this study.
5. Be psychotic or otherwise severely psychiatrically disabled
6. Report a history of a medical condition that would contraindicate the consumption of alcohol (e.g., liver disease, cardiac abnormality, pancreatitis, diabetes, neurological problems, and gastrointestinal disorders).

• Robert F Leeman, Ph.D., Principal investigator, Northeastern University