The study found that in weeks when students had higher scores on personal positive feelings (feelings of internal personal exuberance or happiness), the more they used alcohol during the current week and had more heavy drinking days, but less planned alcohol use for the following week. In contrast, when students had good feelings about their personal relationships with others, they did not use more alcohol than students with less positive feelings about their relationships. Students with more intense ups and downs in positive feelings did not show different alcohol use. It was only when students experienced positive feelings above or below their mean level that they reported higher or lower alcohol consumption. This suggests that providing alcohol-free celebratory events might be an effective strategy for weakening the connection between positive feelings and alcohol use. A total of 202 first-year college students were recruited to participate in 10 weekly telephone interviews during the spring semester of their first year of college. The sample was representative of the first-year class. Diener and Emmons' (1985) positive and negative affect scales were used to assess positive and negative feelings each week. Daily reports of alcohol use were obtained by the interviewer in each weekly call. 2 tables and 77 references