Alcohol and Your Students

1. Alcohol and Your Students Information for Parents, Teachers, Advisors, Friends, and Others Concerned About a Student’s Use of Alcohol Counseling Center UC

2. How much do today’s students drink? • ACHA NCHA-II Fall 2009, >34,000 respondents • Any use past 30 days 59% • If used, • median number of drinks 5, male; 3, female • driving after any drinks 25% • driving after 5 or more 3% • median BAC .05 (cognitive effects start at about.03) alertnesss, concentration, judgment, inhibition

3. Some are heavier users • NCHA-II: • In past 30 days… • used 1-9 days 47% • used 10-29 days 11% • used all 30 days 0.9% • Last time “partied”: • drank 4 or fewer drinks 38% • drank 5 or 6 12% • drank 7 or more 15%

4. NCHA-II: • In past two weeks, drank 5 or more drinks in one sitting… • 1-2 times 21% • 3-5 times 7% • 6 or more times 2%

5. It becomes abuse… • Slutske, 2005 • 3184 students ages 19-21 • Clinically significant problems 18% • Alcohol abuse 11.9% • Alcohol dependence 6.1% esp. problems at home, school, work and drinking then physically dangerous activities

6. Harmful effects of drinking • During past 12 months • did something later regretted 31% • forgot where you were or what you did 27% • had unprotected sex 15% • physically injured self 15% • got in trouble with police 4% • physically injured someone else 3% • had sex without giving consent 2% • seriously considered suicide 2% • had sex without getting consent 0.5% • One or more of the above 47% ACHA-NCHA-II

7. Academic Effects • 25% of college students report academic consequences of drinking, including missing classes, falling behind, doing poorly on exams and papers, receiving lower grades (several studies, reported in NIAAA Snapshot/College Drinking) • “A” average 3.3 drinks per week • “D” or “F” average 9.0 drinks per week

8. Community Effects On campuses with >50% of students binge drinkers, 68.9% of non-binge drinkers said studying or sleep had been affected since the beginning of the school year >696,000 students 18-24 assaulted annually by drinker 11% students have vandalized property while drinking 2.1 million students drive under the influence (NIAAA)

9. What is “normal” drinking? • Moderate user…alcohol use does not exceed: Men 2 drinking days per week 14 drinks per week 5 drinks per occasion Women 1 drinking day per week 7 drinks per week 4 drinks per occasion

10. What about more than moderate use? “At-risk” user exceeds the amount but no indication of negative effects Problem user/abuser exceeds the amount and has negative effects Dependent user shows abuse and 3C’s: compulsion to use, loss of control, continued use despite consequences

11. Binge Drinking • Men >5 drinks per sitting • Women > 4 drinks per sitting

12. Abuse and dependence • In past 12 months • Abuse (1 or more): drinking has repeatedly contributed to risk of bodily harm, relationship trouble, role failure, run-ins with the law 31% of students • Dependence (3 or more) : not been able to cut down or stop, kept drinking despite problems, spent a lot of time on drinking, spent less time on other pleasurable or important matters, shown signs of tolerance or withdrawal (tremors, sweating, nausea, insomnia when trying to cut down) 6% (NIAAA)

13. Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) • NCHA-II: • Students having one or more drinks last time they partied (estimated using number of drinks, how much time, sex, and weight) > .08 34.3% > .10 27.1 %

14. BAC Correlates • Principle effects are on memory, coordination, judgment • Effects can last for substantial time after drinking • REM sleep, hangovers

15. And it’s not just alcohol… • Marijuana • Cocaine • Amphetamines • Inhalants • Sedatives • Club Drugs • Hallucinogens • Opiates (pain meds)

16. Why do students use excessively? • American culture • College culture • Social lubricant • Self medication

17. What can you do to help? • Ask about usage • Educate • Set expectations • Enforce with consequences—within your role • Refer/require treatment if indicated—within your role • Send home—within your role

18. If you are concerned… Ask • ask yourstudent about substance use, explaining purpose is to assist; discuss/plan/troubleshoot • and /or help your student to access simple tools for screening • (AUDIT-C, BAC calculator, Personalized Feedback)

19. Educate • Discuss personal reasons and goals for college • If substance abuse has been an issue in your family, talk about it

20. Provide resources about harm reduction and cutting back • Counseling center website www.uc.edu/sas/counseling • Life-enhancing workshops “Alcohol and Your Goals” • Self-help information • Counseling Center services • Personalized Feedback • Urgent Care • Counseling/Treatment

21. Commission on Alcohol and Other Drug Education (CAODE) website • www.uc.edu/caode

22. Set clear expectations about behavior in writing • Code of Conduct? • Attendance? • Academic performance? • Safe behavior? • Social functioning/rights of others?

23. Be pro-active… Notice, communicate, enforce • Pay attention to any signs of low functioning, including missing or being late for classes or other activities, poor grades, isolating, over-partying, decline in personal hygiene, tiredness, odd behavior, self-destructive behavior (cutting, risk-taking), impulsivity, moodiness, irritability, aggression, large weight changes, eating and sleep changes

24. Bring it up • I am concerned about you/I care about you • I have noticed…. • Is there something I might help you with?

25. Reiterate behavioral expectations, be clear about time frame for improvement, expected behavior (positively worded if you can—what the student should do) • Friendly but not a friend! • Empathy but not enabling

26. Refer or require* evaluation or treatment • Depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety co-occurring disorders are high risk • Suicidal thoughts or behavior • Black out • Medical emergencies: Withdrawal—may need supervision Alcohol poisoning (unconscious or confused; cold, clammy, pale, bluish skin; slow or irregular breathing; vomit while passed out; seizure) • *Parents can require; faculty and staff cannot except as part of a University Judicial Affairs process

27. Taking time off from college to get treatment • If problems are severe or persist • Endangering self or others • Disrupting learning environment

28. From a mental health perspective Treatment follows stages • Pre-contemplation • Contemplation • Preparation • Action • Maintenance • Recurrent Use

29. Consultations Welcome • “Faculty, staff, family friends” on our website • Call us for guidance in addressing your concerns with your son or daughter

30. References American College Health Association, National College Health Assessment-II, fall 2009 data www.acha-ncha.org National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), A Snapshot of Annual High-Risk College Drinking Consequences -2007 www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov Slutske, W. (2005) Alcohol Use Disorders Among US College Students and Their Non-College-Attending Peers. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62, 321-27.

31. Counseling Center • Confidential counseling for UC students – individual and group • Free walk-in urgent care services during business hours • Consultation for faculty, staff, family, and friends concerned about a student • Workshops and presentations – 316 Dyer Hall (513) 556-0648 www.uc.educounseling