A University of Northern Iowa professor is promoting an approach to underage drinking that goes against almost everything that’s currently being done in Iowa’s colleges. Social Work professor Katerine Van-Wormer’s book says cracking down on underage drinking and force college campuses to go dry isn’t the right approach. It favors an approach used in Europe. She says it uses the “harm reduction model” where you find out where they are and try to motivate them to change. Van-Wormer says it stresses responsible drinking. She says it saves lives by teaching moderate drinking, as opposed to binge drinking. Van-Wormer says making drinking illegal only serves to push college kids toward alcohol and other substances, while teaching them moderate drinking would be a more responsible approach. She says it’s better to have the kids learn moderate drinking from adults, than it is to have them learn binge drinking from their peers. Van-Wormer says her idea has gained popularity, but colleges and universities are prevented from using the approach by threats they’ll lose federal funds. She says students need to speak up. She says the politicians know that young people don’t vote, so they stick with the tough laws that crack down on drinking. Van-Wormer says it’s similar to providing condoms to teens who’re already having sex, so they don’t end up getting pregnant. Van-Wormer’s book is called “Addiction Treatment: A Strength Perspective.”