Publications | Campus Drug Prevention

See below for a list of DEA and non-DEA publications to help support your efforts to preventing drug use and misuse among college students.

Prevention with Purpose: A Strategic Planning Guide for Preventing Drug Misuse Among College Students

This guide provides a roadmap for college- and university-based prevention professionals to collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders, from students to administrators, to address campus-wide drug misuse issues. Read more.

Do You Think Marijuana is Legal? Think Again. (POSTER)

Want to spread the word about the consequences of marijuana use on campus? Print out this poster to post around campus.

Do You Think Prescription Drugs Can't Be Addictive? Think Again. (POSTER)

Want to spread the word about the consequences of prescription drug misuse? Print out this poster to post around campus.

Drug Fact Sheets

These printable drug fact sheets (all PDFs) serve as convenient, handy resources that are easy to distribute. Read more.

How to Properly Dispose of Your Unused Medicines

Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue. The Drug Enforcement Administration provides guidance on the right way to dispose of unused medicine. Read more.

What You Should Know about Cannabis Use among College Students

This fact card highlights the prevalence of marijuana use among college students, marijuana’s status under federal law, consequences of marijuana use, things you can do to prevent marijuana use, and resources. Read more.

What You Should Know about Prescription Drug Misuse among College Students

This fact card highlights the prevalence of prescription drug misuse among college students, consequences of prescription drug misuse, things you can do to prevent prescription drug misuse, and resources. Read more.

Preventing Marijuana Use among Youth and Young Adults

This publication provides an overview of the prevalence of marijuana use among youth and young adults; the physical, academic, and social consequences; tips for how to get involved to prevent marijuana use among youth and young adults; and federal resources to assist in such efforts. Read more.

Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault

This brochure produced by DEA’s Victim Witness Assistance Program provides information on the various drugs used in sexual assaults, warning signs of being drugged, what to do if you think you or a friend may have been drugged, and resources. Read more.

Drugs of Abuse (2020)

This publication delivers clear, scientific information about drugs in a factual, straightforward way. It covers topics including the Controlled Substances Act and introduces drug classes including narcotics, stimulants, marijuana/cannabis, inhalants, steroids, and more. Read more.

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Non-DEA Publications

The Academic Opportunity Costs of Substance Use During College

This report was created by the Center on Young Adult Health and Development.The center was established in 2009 at the University of Maryland School of Public Health and is "one of the first such centers in the United States specifically dedicated to understanding the health and development of young adults," according to their report. Read more.

Addressing College Drinking and Drug Use

This guide seeks to provide the latest data on substance use among college students, reframe prevention efforts around the university’s academic mission, and help trustees and university leadership change their campus cultures through evidence-based practices. Read more.

Behavioral Health among College Students Information and Resource Kit

This kit discusses the consequences of substance misuse among college students, including the misuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. It explores various causational factors such as peer pressure, stress, social norms, and advertising messages. Read more.

Considerations for Reopening Institutions of Higher Education in the COVID-19 Era

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve rapidly, causing institutions of higher education to evaluate and plan for numerous “what if” scenarios. These guidelines released by the American College Health Association are based on information about COVID-19 that is known today. Read more.

The Effects of Marijuana Legalization and Decriminalization on Campus Safety at Institutions of Higher Education

The number of institutions of higher education (IHEs) that operate in states where marijuana use is now legal or decriminalized is expanding, and those changes are creating new challenges for campus safety officials at IHEs across the United States. This report provides the findings of a Critical Issues in Campus Public Safety Forum with campus safety leaders, sponsored by the National Center for Campus Public Safety. Read more.

Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health

The first-ever Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, released in the fall of 2016, reviews what is known about substance misuse and how that knowledge can be used to address substance misuse and related consequences. The Prevention and Recovery chapters includes sections on programs for college students. Read more.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism College Drinking Fact Sheet

Harmful and underage college drinking are significant public health problems, and they exact an enormous toll on the lives of students on campuses across the United States. Read more.

Opioid Prescribing in College Health

The American College Health Association Task Force for Opioid Prescribing in College Health has created these guidelines to further an understanding of the issues surrounding opioid prescribing; review major concepts designed to maximize safety and reduce potential for misuse; and identify possible avenues to assist students with an opioid use disorder with rehabilitation, recovery, and return to the college environment. Read more.

SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework

SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework is a dynamic, data-driven planning process that prevention professionals can use to understand and more effectively address the substance misuse and related mental health problems facing their communities. Read more.

Standards of Practice for Health Promotion in Higher Education

In October 2019, the American College Health Association released their updated Standards of Practice for Health Promotion in Higher Education, which serve as a guiding document for professionals who conduct, support, supervise, or have oversight over departments facilitating health promotion processes on their respective campuses. The Standards of Practice are not intended to be a prescriptive formula; rather, they offer a goal for which health promotion professionals in higher education can strive. The document’s purpose is to serve as a framework for the practice of health promotion in higher education to support student success and well-being. Read more.

The Status of College Impaired Driving: A National Call to Action

Substance misuse and traffic safety are two of SADD’s key initiatives. As such, SADD has worked to determine the scope of the impaired driving problem, specifically among 18- to 24-year-olds on traditional and nontraditional college campuses. Read more.

Stimulant Medication Misuse Prevention: Peer Education Toolkit

This toolkit was created as part of the BACCHUS Initiatives of NASPA’s work with the Coalition for the Prevention of ADHD Medication Misuse. CPAMM is a collective of associations representing medical providers, individuals with an ADHD diagnosis, mental health providers, student affairs professionals, and peer educators and advisors. Read more.

Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention: An Athletics Tool Kit

Guided by the latest prevention science and deterrence strategies, and with the collaboration of athletics stakeholders and substance misuse prevention experts, this toolkit is designed to support athletics administrators, in partnership with campus colleagues, reduce substance misuse and promote healthy choices that enhance athletic performance and lifelong health. Read more.

What Parents Need to Know About College Binge Drinking

The feeling of sending a grown child off to college for the first time can be described as a strange mixture of pride, relief, and severe anxiety. What do parents need to know as their adult child takes this big step? Read this article on the Partnership to End Addiction's website. Read more.

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