Creating A Prevention Program for Alcohol and Substance Misuse on the College Campus

Alcohol and substance misuse are significant concerns among college students because of the impact they can have on students’ mental health and well-being, as well as their academics.

In college, students experience various levels of stress and anxiety, navigate new social situations, and handle challenging workloads while discovering their independence. Some of these factors can open the door to alcohol and substance use – or misuse. Whether it’s drinking in excess at a party or misusing pills because of a misguided notion that it will help them do better on a test – alcohol and drug misuse are of significant concern on college campuses.

It is important for colleges and universities to have prevention programs in place to educate students, raise awareness about substance misuse on campus, and provide resources to support students who need help. In a recent Vector Solutions webinar, Rich Lucey, Senior Prevention Program Manager for the Drug Enforcement Administration, shared insight about the issue of alcohol and substance misuse on campus.

Current Trends: Alcohol and Substance Misuse

Overall, rates of drug use and misuse among college students are going down, but there is still work to be done. According to a 2022 Monitoring the Future study, around 27.7% of college students said they had engaged in binge drinking (having five or more drinks in a row) in the past two weeks, compared to 23.9% of their peers who aren’t in college.

In addition, about one in 20 college students reported engaging in high-intensity drinking (having 10 or more drinks in a row). This number is down compared to the previous year; however, Lucey said it is still a significant concern, mainly because there has been a connection found between high-intensity drinking and the risk of attempting suicide.

When it comes to marijuana and non-prescription drug use, the numbers are also concerning. The report found that 22% of college students had used marijuana in the past 30 days. While this number was lower than in 2021, it is still a concern.

Lucey noted that when it comes to non-prescription drugs, college students are more likely to use stimulants (amphetamines) than opioids or sedatives. In 2022, 4.8% reported they had used non-prescription stimulants in the past 12 months. This compares to 2.6% of their peers who aren’t at college. Students often stated they felt using a non-prescription stimulant would help them get a better grade, he said.

Mental Health Trends

Mental health concerns are a significant issue for college students. Data from the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment – Fall 2023 paints a troubling picture.

The assessment revealed that in the past 30 days:

• 36.4% of students felt hopeless
• 27.9% felt so sad nothing could cheer them up
• 25.5% felt worthless

In the past 12 months:

• 31.2% felt anxiety had affected academic performance
• 2.3% reported they were likely to attempt suicide someday
• 2.2% said they had attempted suicide in the last 12 months

Lucey noted the connection between anxiety, depression, and substance misuse. Students often say a significant stressor had caused them to use drugs, or vice versa – the drug misuse had triggered anxiety and depression.

Strategic Planning For Prevention

To address alcohol and substance misuse on campus, it is essential for institutions to put an effective prevention program in place. This requires planning. Prevention needs to be strategic, intentional, and purposeful, Lucey said. He recommends the “Strategic Prevention Framework,” a nationally recognized 5-step process: assessment, capacity, planning, implementation, and evaluation. This framework is a widely used planning process to guide the selection, implementation, and evaluation of effective, culturally appropriate, and sustainable prevention activities.

The framework answers the questions: What is the problem? What do I have to work with? What should I do, and how do I do it? How can I put my plan into action? And, is my plan succeeding? This is another way of thinking about what the framework process answers.

He says prevention programs should also be data-driven, dynamic, and iterative (an ever-evolving process) and should rely on and encourage a team approach. Keeping this in mind when creating prevention programming will help set the institution and its students up for success when it comes to substance misuse and prevention.

How Vector Can Help

Vector Solutions provides prevention programming to support alcohol and substance misuse prevention programs at higher education institutions. Tested and proven effective in eight peer-reviewed studies, Vector’s courses equip campus members with the skills and abilities to reinforce healthy, safe decision-making when it comes to alcohol and other drugs.

The Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention Library includes:

• AlcoholEdu® (for College, Sanctions, and Ongoing Education)
• Alcohol and Other Drugs
• CannabisEdu
• Prescription Drug Misuse Prevention
• Prescription Misuse: Opioids
• And more!