Last week Penn State introduced its newest endeavor to keep students from drinking.

Or did it?

According to Linda LaSalle, a member of the University Park Campus Community Partnership, which sponsored the campaign, the posters hanging in campus dorms and off campus apartments claiming that only 30 percent of Penn State students don't drink responsibly weren't part of an anti-drinking effort.

So if the advertisements aren't aimed at keeping students from drinking, UPCCP is spending time and effort on a project set up to make students aware that most of their peers have four or fewer drinks when they go out.

That's a convincing statistic. Only 30 percent of the 4000 students surveyed at 20 Penn State campuses abuse alcohol, and the rest are responsible drinkers.

It's a sincere effort, too. UPCCP is really trying to solve what amounts to a huge problem at this university — overdrinking.

But "social norming," as the strategy has been titled, is not an effective way to reach college students, and denying that it's a campaign aimed at influencing them, through peer pressure, to stop or at least cut down on their drinking, is only insulting.

Students aren't dumb. They realize that despite LaSalle's claim that this isn't a "bandwagon-like" technique, there can be no other explanation for telling students that the majority of their Penn State friends don't drink a lot. In other words, if you want to fit in, drink less.

It's a nice idea. UPCCP is concerned about the health problems that come from drinking too much, and the posters they have placed around campus give information about what to do if a friend is suffering from alcohol poisoning. It's different, and it doesn't immediately come across as a forceful message to students telling them, "never drink again."

It's a new idea too. For college students, however, it doesn't strike a cord. It's another statistic that most people distrust. Even if it's true, it's not a number that's reflected on College Avenue on your typical Friday night.

It's a sincere program, UPCCP seems to really care, but maybe it's time to stop coming up with new add campaigns to affect the drinking habits of Penn State students and focus energy on something with a better chance of working.