Alcohol and Other Drugs

Alcohol is a psychoactive substance produced through fermentation or distillation; it is commonly consumed in beverages like beer, wine, or liquor. College students may sometimes use alcohol at social events, parties, or other gatherings where its effects can lead to lowered inhibitions and temporary euphoria. When students drink excessively, it could lead to impaired judgment, accidents, and health issues. Consumption of alcohol may also start to get in the way of your college experience by impacting academics, relationships, or leading to other risky behaviors. 

While drinking is a part of some student’s social activities, it is not central to the lives of most NC State students. In fact, most NC State students who choose to drink do so in a “low-risk” way. If you want more information on what “low-risk” drinking looks like, how to avoid a hangover, and other harm reduction strategies, connect with our AOD team.

Recognizing and Responding to Alcohol Overdose
Know the signs:

• C: Cold Skin
• U: Unresponsive
• P: Puking
• S: Slow Breathing

Estimate your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
Use this calculator to estimate the level of alcohol in your system also known as your blood alcohol concentration. Usually, students start to report more negative outcomes associated with drinking than positive outcomes when their BAC reaches .05. For individuals over 21, the legal driving limit is .08; however, we recommend that students not drive after consuming any amount of alcohol.

Cannabis is a plant that contains a psychoactive component, THC. Cannabis functions as a stimulant, depressant and hallucinogenic and can have mixed effects. It can be used via smoking, vaping, or edibles. While many individuals believe that cannabis improves sleep or promotes wellness, cannabis actually impairs sleep quality, cognitive function, memory, and motivation. Increased use can lead students to experience legal consequences, declined academic performance, and low attendance. Many students may think that cannabis is not “addictive”; however, about 9% of people who use cannabis will experience physical dependence. If you’d like to explore your relationship to cannabis, you can use the tools below, or connect with our AOD team.

Cannabis use is illegal in North Carolina and contrary to popular belief, it does come with potential health risks. If you do use cannabis, make informed choices for safer use.

Cannabis Risk Reduction

1. General Precautions
   • Delay using cannabis as late as possible in life, ideally not before reaching adulthood.
   • Avoid using if you’re pregnant, or if you or family members have a history of psychosis or substance use problems.
   • Not using cannabis at all is still the best way to protect your health.
2. Safer Use Practices
   • Choose low-potency products – those with low THC and/or high CBD content.
   • Use cannabis in ways that don’t involve smoking – choose less risky methods of using like vaping or ingesting.
   • If you do smoke, avoid deep inhalation or breath-holding.
   • Occasional use, such as one day per week or less, is better than regular use.
3. Minimizing High-Risk Situations
   • Stay away from synthetic cannabis products, such as K2 or Spice.
   • Do not operate a vehicle or operate machinery while impaired by cannabis use. Wait at least six hours after using. Remember that combining alcohol and cannabis make you more impaired.
   • Your actions add up. The more risks you take, the more likely you are to harm your health.

Explore Your Use
Take the Cannabis e-CheckUpToGo survey to explore how you typically use cannabis and take the CUDIT-R to rate your use.

Opioids are a class of drugs that can either be derived naturally from the opium poppy or made synthetically. Opioids can increase pleasure and drowsiness and decrease the body’s response to pain. When prescribed, opioids are used as cough suppressants, for pain management, and in anesthesia. Commonly prescribed opioids include codeine, hydrocodone, morphine, and oxycodone. The widely used term, heroin, is the street name for the illegal substance that can be used recreationally. Tolerance to all opioids can happen rapidly resulting in the need for larger amounts and more frequent use. If you are concerned about how opioids may be impacting you, or would like to learn more about common myths and facts associated with opioids, you can connect with our AOD team.

Dangers of Synthetic Opioids (Fentanyl)
A standard practice when selling heroin is to mix or “cut” the drug with other substances, such as Fentanyl. This increases profit and potency. Fentanyl is a prescription opioid medication approved to treat severe and chronic pain with a potency of 80 to 100 times that of morphine. Combining fentanyl and other substances can result in opioid overdose. The Center for Disease Control reported in 2017 the total number of unintentional opioid-involved poisoning deaths in the United States was 47,600; 59 percent of these involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

Reducing the Risk of Opioid Poisoning
According to the Harm Reduction Coalition, the best way to avoid the dangers associated with drugs is not to use. Research has shown that access to fentanyl testing strips may reduce the risks associated with unintentional poisonings and may even lead a person to not use that particular substance. Fentanyl testing strips made by BTNX Inc. can be purchased online through dancesafe.org or can be accessed at Prevention Services.

Learn more about our opioid overdose prevention and education efforts.

• Warning signs of an overdose
• How to respond to an overdose
• How to get a Naloxone (Narcan) kit
• How to access fentanyl testing strips

Nicotine is a stimulant substance derived from the tobacco plant. It is typically delivered to users through tobacco products, such as cigarettes, hookah, or smokeless tobacco. Nicotine can also be used in a non-tobacco form through electronic cigarettes or e-cigs, gum, patch, or lozenge. Nicotine affects the body very quickly, releasing adrenaline and dopamine for a calm feeling. Although initially nicotine may feel pleasant in the moment, after-effects include increased heart rate, blood pressure, and anxious and depressed feelings. Many individuals may feel stuck in the cycle of using nicotine to cope with its effects. If you’d like to talk about the cycle of nicotine use, ways to cut back, or how nicotine interacts with other drugs, connect with our AOD team.

Quit/Help Lines

• American Lung Association – Lung Helpline and Tobacco Quitline
  • 1.800.586.4872 (toll-free)
• Department of Health and Human Services – Quitline NC
  • 1.800.QUIT.NOW (toll-free)

Stimulants are a class of drugs that increases activity in the central nervous system. They can include prescription medications (like Adderall, Ritalin or Vyvanse) or illegal recreational substances such as cocaine or methamphetamine. While stimulants can increase heart rate and have benefits when prescribed by a doctor to someone diagnosed with a medical condition, taking stimulants without a prescription and medical reason can have negative consequences. These consequences can include restlessness, anxiety, legal issues, and accidental overdose. If you are curious about stimulants or want to explore risk reduction strategies, connect with our AOD team.

Drink tampering (or spiking) occurs when alcohol and/or another drug is placed in a person’s drink without their knowledge. Some warning signs of drink tampering include salty or bitter taste, foggy appearance, excessive bubbles or fizzing, sinking ice, or change in color. Some symptoms of drink tampering could include feeling drunk (or drunker than expected), woozy,  drowsy, or “out of it”, mental confusion, speech difficulties (such as slurring), memory loss, loss of inhibitions, nausea and vomiting, breathing problems, muscle spasms or seizures, lowered body temperature and blood pressure, loss of consciousness, an unusually long hangover, or a severe hangover when you had little or no alcohol to drink.

There are strategies that you can use to help prevent drink tampering:

• Ensure that you are not tampering with someone’s drink, even with alcohol. 
• Stay Aware: Always keep an eye on your drink. If you step away, consider taking it with you or finishing it before leaving.
• Use Sealed Containers or Drink Covers: Choose drinks that come in sealed containers, like bottles or cans. Avoid open drinks in crowded places. 
• Drink Responsibly: Limit the number of drinks you consume and know your limits. This can help you stay alert.
• Watch Your Friends: Look out for each other in social situations. Agree to keep an eye on each other’s drinks.
• Choose Trusted Venues: Frequent establishments known for their safety measures and staff vigilance. 
• Be Cautious with Strangers: Avoid accepting drinks from strangers, even if they seem friendly. 
• Educate Others: Share information about drink tampering and its risks with friends and peers to raise awareness. 
• Report Suspicious Behavior: If you see someone tampering with drinks, alert staff, security personnel or police.

Know the Four Ps

• Pause: Am I tampering with, adding to, or mixing someone’s drink?
• Protect: Watch your drink, don’t accept strange drinks and lookout for friends
• Pace: Go low and slow, if drinking, set limits, know your BAC (blood alcohol concentration)
• Pour: Pour your own drink, when in doubt, pour it out!

If you suspect a medical emergency, call Poison Control (1.800.222.1222) or emergency services.

There is no form of alcohol consumption that is risk-free. For more information on alcohol and alcohol-related harms, visit the World Health Organization’s website.

Have you ever given a prescription to a friend with the intention of helping? This is known as Altruistic Medication Sharing. Although giving medication to someone else (or taking medication from a friend) may seem like a good idea, it is illegal for both people and can cause harm. Without understanding someone’s medical history, sharing medication can be dangerous. If you need to get rid of leftover prescription medication in a safe way, you can use the Med-Safe drop box located across from the pharmacy in the Campus Health Center.