How to talk to students about substance use

College students may be exposed to new situations that they’re unsure how to navigate, including party culture. Whether or not your student chooses to use alcohol or other drugs, talking with them about how substance use impacts their goals and how they can keep themselves and their friends safer can help support their well-being and success. 

Here are some tips to help you start the conversation. 

1. Start early and continue to stay involved 

Having open conversations with your student can positively affect their attitude towards alcohol and substance use. Having these conversations early and continuing to stay engaged can help your student feel prepared in a variety of situations.  

College students in particular are at higher risk for harms associated with alcohol and other drugs. Your continued involvement can be a protective measure for your student against these harms. As part of the conversation, be sure to ask your student about the activities they’re getting involved in, the relationships they’re forming with roommates and friends and what their overall experience has been like.  

2. Allow room for disagreement 

If this is your first time talking with your student about substance use, it’s important to be prepared for the fact that your student may initially be reluctant to engage with you. They may be afraid of getting in trouble or feel as though they’ve heard everything there is to hear about alcohol and other drugs. Stay open to what your student has to say and continue talking about substances. Your conversations will likely build and deepen over time. 

3. Listen to understand 

Being an open and active listener is an important part of any conversation, including those about substance use. As you’re talking with your student, remember to actively listen, be open to hearing their perspective, avoid debating and affirm their strengths as a person. This approach can help reduce some of the resistance they may initially feel when discussing substance use.  

4. Familiarize yourself with policies, laws and resources 

There are a lot of policies and laws regarding alcohol and other drugs that can be helpful for students and families to understand. 

   Drinking age: The state of Colorado and CU prohibit drinking for students under 21. If your student is of age living in a residence hall, they may only possess and consume alcohol within their assigned space with the door closed. 

   Amnesty Policy: To encourage students to help one another in the event of an alcohol- or drug-related emergency, CU has an Amnesty Policy. This means neither the person who calls for help nor the person who needs help will be subject to formal disciplinary sanctions from the university. 

   911 Good Samaritan Law: Under Colorado’s 911 Good Samaritan Law, a person is immune from criminal prosecution for an offense when they report, in good faith, an emergency drug or alcohol overdose to a law enforcement officer, the 911 system or a medical provider. This same immunity applies to persons who remain at the scene of the event until a law enforcement officer, or an emergency medical responder arrives, or if the person remains at the facilities of the medical provider until a law enforcement officer, emergency medical responder or medical provider arrives. The immunity described above also extends to the person who suffered the emergency drug or alcohol overdose event. 

   Smoking policy: CU is also a smoke- and tobacco-free campus. This policy applies to all vape products, marijuana and cigarettes.  

   Workshops: CU Boulder provides a variety of resources to help students. Health Promotion offers free substance use workshops that allow students to discuss substance use with a peer or professional staff member.  

   Collegiate Recovery Community: The Collegiate Recovery Community (CUCRC) provides a space for students who are in recovery or seeking recovery from substances to find community, attend meetings and attend substance-free events. 

5. Discuss how drinking affects the body 

There is a lot of misinformation about how alcohol can impact the body. You can support your student by providing accurate information about the following effects from alcohol: 

• Alcohol is absorbed from the stomach into the bloodstream. 
• At lower blood alcohol concentrations, alcohol can lead students to have a sense of relaxation and well-being in addition to impairments to their thoughts, judgment and coordination.  
• At higher concentrations, it can lead to feelings of depression, mood swings, unconsciousness and loss of control over basic bodily functions that can be fatal. 

Talk with your student to see how familiar they are with this process and help provide additional information if needed. 

6. Discuss what to do in an emergency 

Whether your student chooses to drink or not, there is a possibility that they will be in a situation where they need to support another student in an emergency. At CU Boulder, we want every student to have the ability to help one another. Here are some skills you can share with your student to help them respond in an emergency situation.  

7. Share your values and experiences 

Continue to talk with your student about your family’s values related to alcohol and other drugs. This can include discussions about how substance use may impact their academic success and overall college experience. 

When talking about substances and their impacts, your student may ask questions about what it was like when you were in college. Be honest with them about your experience but try to avoid stories that normalize or idolize substance use.  

8. Correct misconceptions 

Long before they step foot on campus, students may have assumptions or expectations around what the ‘college experience’ looks like. Most of these messages, whether from friends, movies or social media, normalize drinking, partying and hookup culture. 

However, according to a 2023 National College Health Assessment survey of CU Boulder students, more than 66% of students reported either not using alcohol or not binge drinking within the past two weeks. Helping your student realize that most students aren’t drinking or using marijuana on a regular basis may help them feel more comfortable about making the decision not to drink. It can also help them realize that there isn’t a standard ‘college experience’ they need to live up to.  

9. Understand why students use substances 

There are many reasons that factor into why students do or do not use alcohol or other drugs. Talking through potential motivations can help guide your conversations, and it allows you to reinforce your student’s decisions to not use substances or use them in a safer way. It’s also important to understand the misconceptions your student may have about substance use. This can also be a good time to brainstorm other ways your student can have the experiences they want. 

Alcohol use

It’s important to remember that students may have different reasons for using substances, and it may depend on the substance itself. Keep in mind that substances that students use today may be different from the ones you remember from your experiences. For instance, cannabis is far more potent now than it was in the ‘70s and ‘80s. 

We hope you’ll find these tips helpful as they are supported by expert research. You can find more information by checking out a free copy of Dr. Rob Turrisi’s Parent Handbook for Talking with College Students About Alcohol. This resource has been proven to help reduce alcohol-related harms in college students through parental and family conversations. 

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