Alcohol and Other Drugs

Tobacco Use:

John Carroll University is committed to providing a healthy, comfortable, and productive environment for the students, faculty, and staff, contractors, vendors, and visitors of this campus. Therefore, we have made the commitment to be a tobacco- and smoke-free campus. Smoking, the use of any tobacco product, vaping,a and the use of electronic cigarettes are prohibited throughout the campus, including in on any university-owned or leased properties and in any university-owned vehicles.

According to the American Lung Association, every year in the United States over 392,000 people die from tobacco-caused disease, making it the leading cause of preventable death. Another 50,000 people die from exposure to second hand smoke.

The University is highly committed to supporting all students who wish to stop using tobacco. To find information on tobacco and smoking cessation, please visit the American Heart Association by clicking on the following link. For more information on our tobacco-free policy and resources please visit this link.

Vaping:

In the 2019 National College Health Assessment that JCU students took, nearly 1 in 4 JCU students report vaping in the last 30 days. With such high usage on our campus it is important to know the risks and have resources available to help people quit.

Quick Facts:

• There is no safe tobacco product. All tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, carry a risk.
• The use of e-cigarettes, or vaping, products is unsafe for all ages, and contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s.
• As of October 15, 2019, 1,479 lung injury cases associated with the use of e-cigarette, or vaping, products have been reported to CDC.
• Thirty-three deaths have been confirmed in 24 states.
• Products containing THC, particularly those obtained off the street or from other informal sources (e.g. friends, family members, illicit dealers), are linked to most of these lung injury cases and deaths.
• The long-term health impact of nicotine pouches (commonly referred to as Zyns) is still unknown. Not technically categorized as smokeless tobacco, these products are not yet regulated as strictly by the FDA. Find more information here. 

Source: Center for Disease Control, 2019, for more information visit the CDC's website.

Stopping or Reducing Use:

1. Reduce the nicotine gradually by buying pods or bottles that come in different strengths.
2. Set a date that you will stop, or a certain amount that you will buy, and stick to it.
3. When you have had your last vape, stick to it.  If you have reduced your nicotine use, it is most likely you're addicted to the habit and not the nicotine.
4. Carry on and if you fall back into the habit, start the process of quitting again.  You can do it!
5. Seek support!  It is hard to do this alone. Email wellness@jcu.edu to schedule wellness coaching. Wellness coaching is a short-term, non-judgemental, easy way to meet with a student or staff member to discuss a variety of issues and help reach your personal wellness goals- including quitting nicotine. 

For more information visit QuitVaping.org.

Why do College Students Drink?

The reasons why college students drink vary since individual students are unique. For some, drinking is a coping mechanism or a way to deal with the stress and pressures of daily life. For other students, drinking helps them feel less inhibited and more comfortable in social situations. Some students who drink might just be exploring pushing previously-forbidden boundaries while living on their own for the first time. It can be easy to forget that many college students are still teenagers, after all, and just want to fit in with their peers (and sometimes push the status quo).

Binge Drinking and Alcoholism 

In order to identify problem drinking, you must first understand what an AUD is. AUD is characterized by an inability to control or discontinue the use of alcohol, despite it having a negative impact on one’s occupational, social, emotional, or physical health.3 It is considered a brain disease and is on a spectrum of mild, moderate, or severe.3

Binge drinking is a pattern of drinking that raises a person’s blood alcohol concentration to .08%. For men, that is approximately 5 drinks in two hours, and for women approximately 4 drinks in two hours.4 Binge drinking, or any type of habitual drinking, is considered a problem when it begins to negatively impact a person’s life.

Consequences of College-Aged Alcohol Abuse

• Poor classroom performance.
• Putting one’s self in high-risk situations such as drinking and driving.
• Having unsafe sex.
• Becoming the victim of sexual assault.
• Vandalism or other criminal activities.

Calculate your BAC and understand how long it can take to reach full sobriety here. 

For more information, please visit American Addictions Centers. 

AlcoholEdu for College is the only online alcohol prevention program that was designed for Population-Level Prevention®. Its personalized approach provides an experience that impacts both individual behavior and campus culture, reducing our institutional risk. Today, AlcoholEdu is used on hundreds of campuses and by 36% of all first-year students at America’s four-year higher education institutions, producing the world’s largest database on college students and alcohol. It remains the only program specifically designed for ALL students – whether they are frequent heavy drinkers, light to moderate drinkers, or non-drinkers. All first-year students at John Carroll University are required to complete AlcoholEdu (as well as Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduate Students). Failure to comply will result in a violation of the University Alcohol Policy and a $100 fine for each course. Please contact wellness@jcu.edu with any questions about course completion.

Drug and Alcohol Assessments are given to students who are referred and/or sanctioned through the Dean of Students Office, Residential Life, Greek Life, or Athletics. Students go through their assessment with the Coordinator of Student Wellness in person to help them reflect on their experiences with drugs and alcohol, with the goal helping students have a healthier relationship with substance use.

Educational Programs are group presentations for those referred and/or sanctioned through the Dean of Students Office. Students are required to attend a presentation regarding being in the presence of alcohol or being a community member at JCU. All information is confidential and will be discussed in a judgment-free environment.

The Health and Wellness Office collects data periodically to understand the current experiences of students. We have found that the perception of alcohol consumption by students is typically inaccurate, and we hope to dispel myths about drinking, and also reiterate the fact that almost one-quarter of our students typically do not drink. From data, such as the Wake Forrest Well-Being Survey from the spring of 2018 and the National College Health Assessment from the spring of 2019, we know that the majority of John Carroll students are either not drinking at all, or they’re drinking responsibly. We want to infuse the campus community with positive messaging about alcohol use. We are committed to maintaining a safe campus community and preventing injuries amongst our students. Programs such as Beer and Burritos, an alcohol-free education event, is designed to provide accurate information about drinking (and not drinking) while being a part of the Carroll community.

21st Birthdays can be a high risk event for students. To help reduce this risk, each student that is turning 21 receives an email from the Health Promotion and Wellness Office asking to meet and talk about their birthday plans. Many times someone's birthday can happen to them, leading to unintended outcomes. The goal is for students to take ownership over their experience, leading to a better night. Students who participate also receive a gift card!

Some students enter college recovering from substance abuse, or begin their recovery journey once in college. John Carroll is committed to helping those students through on and off campus resources.

Alcoholics Anonymous®

Alcoholics Anonymous® is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for AA membership we are self-supporting through our own contributions. AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

There is an open meeting that takes place every Thursday night at 7:00pm across the street in the Pastoral Center, next to the Church of the Gesu. For other meeting times and locations please visit Alcoholics Anonymous Cleveland.

StartYourRecovery.org

This is a free, confidential tool that helps individuals take steps toward a healthy relationship with drugs and alcohol. It was developed with the input of leading clinicians, experts from leading organizations like SAMHSA, and people in recovery themselves. Here, individuals can hear stories from people with similar life experiences, discover the answers they need for recognizing and dealing with substance use issues, and locate support. Family and friends can learn about addiction and how to encourage treatment, and support sober living on the website.

On the Wagon

In addition to this, if you are searching for other centers to help with recovery from addition, below is a link through “On the Wagon” to help you search for the best resources near you.

Cleveland Addiction Rehab Centers

The transition from high school to college provides parents with the optimal time period to talk with their students.  We have worked with Dr. Rob Turisi that has done substantial research on alcohol prevention and below is a handbook that was created with his help. 

This handbook helped make it less likely for students to drink when they came to campus and reduced the drinking of those students who already were drinking in high school.

When comparing the students whose parents or guardians did versus did not communicate using these materials as their source of information, the risks of experiencing serious alcohol-related consequences were significantly lower.

Parent Handbook