This article analyzes the experience of three universities in the city of Bogota in which they were designed and implemented programs to prevent the consumption of alcohol. In two universities, with peculiarities in each one, the program was called Tomate el control and in the third university was named Toma la decision. The analysis of the characteristics of the programs, the implementation process and the reported results suggest that prevention alcohol consumption programs may make greater achievements in the university environment if they start from the reality of the particular context, are defined as institutional policies, if the educational community appropriates them, and are conducted under participatory process of all levels of the institution.