In an effort to strengthen prevention efforts that target reducing alcohol-related consequences experienced by college students, a recent study aimed to identify distinct predictors and mediators of said consequences. The study examined how a student’s willingness to experience consequences or intentions to avoid consequences correlated with use of protective behaviors, and as a result, how said correlations associated with alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences. Study participants included first-year college students identified as past-month drinkers (n=2,024; average age 18yo; averaged 10.8 drinks/week) that completed a baseline and six-month follow-up assessment during fall and spring semester, respectively, of their freshman year. In the baseline assessment, participants self-reported their drinking behaviors, use of protective behaviors, as well as willingness to experience and intentions to avoid consequences. In the follow-up assessment, participants reported the number of physiological, social, sexual, and academic consequences experienced during spring semester as a result of drinking. Among many findings, the authors determined that a willingness to experience physiological consequences and a higher intention to avoid physiological consequences correlated with use of drinking-specific protective behaviors, and this correlation associated with reduced alcohol consumption and fewer consequences experienced. Use of general protective behaviors influenced nonphysiological consequences, such as social, sexual, and academic consequences, but it did not impact physiological consequences. Take Away: The authors suggest we can strengthen existing prevention efforts by emphasizing use of drinking-specific and general protective behaviors. While use of drinking-specific protective behaviors helps to reduce alcohol consumption and decrease all alcohol-related consequences, use of general protective behaviors (communicating sexual boundaries, staying with friends, etc) may be particularly effective at decreasing nonphysiological consequences.