Views From the Field

For most students, a common misperception is that the college experience includes frequent alcohol parties, most college students use marijuana and other illegal drugs, and many use prescription drugs recreationally.

The holidays provide an excellent opportunity to talk to your young adults—about the devastating effects of opioid and prescription drug misuse.

As a recent college graduate, I can attest to how grateful I feel to have gotten an early start to my career in prevention. I have gained new skills that I will take with me through graduate school and my career, met new friends and colleagues, and had the opportunity to travel and learn in new places. 

When sharing my prevention story, I often tease that I went from enforcement to prevention. That is partially true as I was a campus police officer prior to working solely in prevention. 

Last year, in early October, a colleague forwarded me the call for submissions for the DEA’s first annual Campus Video PSA Contest. 

The start of this academic year represents a milestone of sorts for me. I began as a first-year student at the University of Washington (UW) in September 1987; now, 30 years later, I have the honor of working in both a research capacity and a student life capacity at the very campus that shaped my professional identity. 

For many students, college marks a time in life where they have a new sense of freedom. They transition into a stage of interdependence where they are largely responsible for daily decisions that will affect their lives now and in the future. This time allows for new experiences, new friends, and new opportunities.

As faculty, we see how alcohol and other drug misuse affect students’ academic performance. For example, some students miss class, pass in late assignments, fall asleep, or rarely participate because of their substance use.

Implicit beliefs about addiction often frame access to support systems for students in recovery or in need of treatment.

When I began my career as a prevention professional at a large public university more than two decades ago, I made many of my programming choices based on an instinct that what I was implementing would reduce drug use among our students.