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.