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Alcohol, Drug, and Wellness Education

The Office of Alcohol, Drug and Wellness Education strives to facilitate student growth and development, encourage exploration of and balance within the social, intellectual, spiritual, occupational, physical and emotional components of wellness.  

The Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Wellness Education serves to provide a 3-pronged approach to education, programming, and student growth and development: (1) individuals; (2) student body as a whole; and (3) university and the greater community. Through holistic education, prevention, and counseling, the Office underscores the University’s mission to prepare students for meaningful work, fulfilling lives and responsible citizenship. By focusing on making healthy choices including responsible drinking, sexual education, and drug use prevention, the office works collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students to develop proactive programming, education, and counseling opportunities. 

The Office of Alcohol, Drug and Wellness Education is located in the Student Affairs area behind the Information Desk in the Hoover-Price Campus Center and welcomes all visitors. 

  1. Stark County Alcohol and Drug Treatment Options and Referrals

    Stark County Treatment Centers

    Coleman Behavioral Health

    Alliance: 1410 W. State St., Alliance, OH 44601, (330) 823-6932

    Canton: 400 W. Tuscarawas St, Suite 200, Canton, OH, 44702, (330) 438-2400

      
    CommQuest Detox at Aultman Hospital (Canton)

    Sub-acute detoxification refers to detoxification services provided with twenty-four-hour medical monitoring.

    2600 6th St.SW, Canton, Ohio 44710, 330-830-3393

      

    CommQuest

    Alliance: 1207 West State St., Suite M, Alliance, OH 44601, (330) 821-8407

    Canton: 625 Cleveland Ave NW, Canton, OH 44702, (330) 445-2677

    Massillon Driver Intervention Program: 1660 Nave Road SE, Massillon, OH 44646, (330) 834-1934  

      
    Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (Alliance):

    1207 West State Street, Suite G, Alliance, Ohio 44601, (330)823-5335

      

    Stark County TASC  (Only for those with current legal involvement)

    624 N. Market St. Canton, OH 44702, 330-479-1912

      

    Summit Psychological Associates:

    832 McKinley Ave NW, Canton, OH 44703, 330-493-2554

             
    Glenbeigh Outpatient Services (Canton)

    Intensive outpatient services and support for loved ones.

    4661 Belpar St. NW, Canton, OH 44718, (330) 492-2600

      
    Phoenix Rising Behavioral Health & Recovery of Alliance:

    (330) 493-4553

  2. Support Groups

    Support Groups

    Alcoholics Anonymous Intergroup Office,

    (330) 491-1989 (24/7)

    4306 Avondale Ln NW, Canton, Ohio 44708

     

    Al-Anon, Ala-Teen

      

    Narcotics Anonymous for Northeast Ohio

    1(800) 587-4232

      

    Cocaine Anonymous

    (330) 327-4090

     

    Dual Recovery Anonymous

     

    Foundations, A Place for Education & Recovery

    (330) 454-2888

    Peer Recovery support

    116 Cleveland Avenue N.W Suite 200, Canton, Ohio 44702 

      

    Gam-Anon

    (718) 352-1671

    For spouses and families of gamblers. Monday: 7:30 p.m.

    Hope House, 5901 Market Ave.N., Canton, Ohio 49714

     

    Gamblers Anonymous

     

    Sex Addicts Anonymous

  3. Crisis Numbers

     If you or someone you know are in crisis, please immediately contact:

    • Call 9-1-1 if emergency services are needed. If requesting law enforcement, you can ask for a CIT-trained officer
    • Call (330) 452-6000, the Stark County Crisis Hotline anytime
    • Text 4hope to 741 741, the Crisis Text Line anytime
    • Call National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988
    • Call the Domestic Violence Help Line anytime at (330) 453-SAFE (7233) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline(800) 799-7233
    • Trevor Lifeline for LGBTQ youth (866) 488-7386
    • Trans Lifeline at (877)565-8860
    • Homeless Hotline at (330) 452-4363 for all Stark County homeless housing requests
    • Military & Veterans Crisis Line 988, press 1 anytime
    • Military & Veterans Crisis Text Line 838255
  4. Consultation Services

    Assessment, counseling and education/resources are available in the areas of:

    • Alcohol or Drug Misuse/Abuse/Dependency
    • Recovery Support
    • Tobacco Use/Cessation
    • Behavioral Addictions:
      • Gambling
      • Sex/Porn
      • Shopping
      • Gaming/Internet
    • Stress Management
    • Healthy Relationships
    • Body Image/Eating Disorders
    • Time Management
    • Other Wellness Related Concerns

    Students wanting to know more about responsible drinking, smoking cessation, living alcohol/drug free, or other drug and alcohol or wellness issues can schedule an individual appointment by contacting the office of Alcohol, Drug & Wellness Education.

     

    Group Education Classes/Support Groups

    Groups are designed to help students gain insight and self-awareness regarding their current concerns. Students must meet with an Alcohol, Drug & Wellness Education staff member before enrolling in group or class.

    Current available groups include:

    • Sexual Assault Survivor Support Group
    • Recovery Group
    • Smoking Cessation Group
    • Children of Adult Alcoholics Support Group
    • Alcohol Education Group

     

    Crisis Response

    Alcohol, Drug & Wellness Education offers crisis intervention services to all enrolled students. Crisis response is immediate and short-term psychological care to help students through a crisis situation to restore balance to their life and to minimize the potential for long-term psychological trauma.

  5. Ohio Alcohol and Drug Laws

    Ohio law prohibits the purchase, consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages by persons under 21 years of age, with a maximum fine up to $1000 for the first offense. Misrepresenting one's age or falsifying an identification to obtain alcoholic beverages is punishable by a fine up to $1,000 and 6 months' imprisonment. Cities and towns in Ohio prohibit public consumption of alcohol and impose fines for violations. A first conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs has a penalty of up to $1,000, three-year revocation of one's driver's license, mandatory participation in a driver intervention program (DIP), and up to 6 months imprisonment. 

    Criminal penalties in Ohio for the illicit use of controlled substances ("drugs") vary with the type of drug.  In general, narcotics, addictive drugs, and drugs with a high potential for abuse have heavier penalties. For example, possession of marijuana is punishable with fines up to $2,500 and imprisonment up to 1 year, while possession of Ecstasy (MDMA) is punishable with fines up to $15,000 and imprisonment up to 8 years.

    Possession of drugs is illegal without valid authorization (i.e. a valid doctor's prescription/recommendation).    While penalties for possession are generally not as great as for manufacture and distribution of drugs, possession of a relatively large quantity may be considered distribution. Penalties for conviction of the sale or attempted distribution of marijuana are fines up to $10,000 and up to 5 years imprisonment. Under both State and Federal laws, penalties for possession, manufacture and distribution are much greater for second and subsequent convictions. Many of these laws dictate mandatory prison terms and require that the full minimum term be served.

    Sale and possession of drug paraphernalia is illegal in Ohio. Drug paraphernalia can be classified as any equipment, product or material of any kind that is designed, intended or used for producing, processing, preparing, testing, analyzing, packaging, repackaging, storing, containing, concealing, injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into the human body, a controlled substance in violation of Ohio drug law. 

    Persons convicted of drug possession under State or Federal law may be ineligible for federal student grants and loans for up to one year after the first conviction and five years after the second. The penalty for distributing drugs is loss of benefits for five years after the first, ten years after the second, and permanently after the third conviction.

  6. Student Organizations and Committees

    Organizations and Committees

    Two student organizations work in conjunction with the Office of Alcohol, Drug and Wellness Education: C.H.O.I.C.E.S. (Choosing Healthy Options in Celebration of Educational Success) and GAMMA (Greeks Advocating Mature Management of Alcohol). C.H.O.I.C.E.S. provides education and opportunities for students interested in health and wellness issues. They are a student organization made up of trained peer educators who offer programs on stress management, healthy decision making, and other wellness related topics. GAMMA is composed of and works with students participating in fraternity and sorority life. GAMMA offers programs designed to improve risk-management and promote responsible attitudes toward alcohol use. 

    The office of Alcohol, Drug and Wellness Education also advises three student-led committees to address current public health concerns: 

    • YOUng People Matter: Student-led committee that addresses the misuse and abuse of prescription medication among 18-24 year-olds.  They are active not only on campus but also at the county and state levels. 
    • BUZZKILL: Serve Under 21 and the Party is Over:   A student-led committee designed to inform students about social hosting laws in Ohio and expose myths of how to “get around” social hosting laws. 
    • Keep Off the Grass: A student-led committee to address the pros and cons of marijuana use. 

      

    Campus Programming

    The Office of Alcohol, Drug and Wellness Education provides programming and outreach in the form of campus-wide “awareness” events (i.e. National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, Great American Smoke Out and Safe Spring Break), hall and floor programs, and individual and group counseling sessions.  The office provides education and counseling for students concerned about alcohol, drugs and other wellness related issues.  Additionally, the Office of Alcohol, Drug and Wellness Education is a campus-wide resource – providing wellness-related information and referrals for students, whether for a class project or personal use. 

  7. Helpful Links

    Alcohol and Drugs

    Center of Alcohol Studies

    Higher Education Center for Alcohol & Other Drug Prevention

    National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism

    National Institute on Drug Abuse

    Ohio Mental Health & Addiction Services

    Stark County Mental Health & Addiction Recovery

    Start your Recovery

    Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

      

    Alcohol information

    College Drinking Changing the Culture

    Foundations For Advancing Alcohol Responsibility

    Stop Underage Drinking

      

    Marijuana Information

    National Institute of Drug Abuse Advancing Addiction Science

    Ohio's Official Resource for the Medical Marijuana Control Program

     

    NCAA

    Banned Drug List

      

    Opiate Overdose Kits

    Overdose prevention kits containing Naloxone are available at no cost to Stark County residents. Naloxone is a medication that can reverse an overdose caused by an opioid drug (heroin or Rx pain medications). To find an opiate overdose kit in Stark County, visit the Metal Health and Addiction Recovery site. 

      

    Body Image & Eating Disorders

    National Eating Disorders Association

     

    Sexual Responsibility

    Love is Respect

    Planned Parenthood

    Woman's Health

    Center for Disease Control Prevention

    Sex Ed for Social Change

     

    Smoking Cessation

    Smoke Free

    The American Cancer Society

    Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital: Tobacco Treatment Program

    Aultman Hospital: Give It Up! Program

      

    Gambling

    Addiction Center

    Ohio for Responsible Gambling

    Help Guide

Alcohol: What It Is and What It Does

Many people think of alcohol as a beverage, not a drug, but, in fact, ethyl alcohol is a drug as much as is Valium or an amphetamine. Ethyl alcohol is a sedative hypnotic drug and is the active ingredient in all forms of alcoholic drinks, beer, liquor, wine. Although many people refer to liquor as 'hard alcohol', the alcohol is the same as in the other types of drinks.

How Does the Body Eliminate Alcohol?

One of the most important things a drinker can know about alcohol is the process of its elimination from the body. Alcohol is metabolized in the liver. Ninety-five percent of the alcohol consumed is eliminated in this way. The liver metabolizes approximately one-half ounce per hour, the amount in one 12 oz. can of domestic beer, one ounce of 100 Proof liquor, or 5-6 ounces of wine.

Why Do Some People Do Things Drinking They Wouldn't Do Sober?

As the blood alcohol concentration rises, the drug affects brain function which, in turn, affects judgement, emotions, coordination, and, if the person continues to drink, voluntary and involuntary muscles. As brain functions become impaired, some people say or do things not normally part of their behavior. People may become insulting, angry, or tearful. Most people become happy because that is the reaction they expect.

    

Blackouts

Definition - A blackout is an amnesia-like period which is preceded by excessive drinking. It is not passing out or losing consciousness. The person will appear to be normal and will seem to be functioning appropriately. Later, however, the drinker will not remember periods of time during or after drinking. A blackout may last just a few minutes or several hours.
Some drinkers may report, for example, not remembering how they returned to their room from a party, or they may not recall conversations with friends during the evening.

Cause - The exact cause of blackouts is not known. The simple explanation is that alcohol disrupts the storing of information in the long-term memory.

Significance - Blackouts are serious for a number of reasons. First, most drinkers do not have blackouts. Those people who do have them mistakenly assume that everyone does, but this is not the case. Second, most people who have a first blackout do not have another because they decide that if excessive drinking is going to cause them to forget what they did, they do not want to drink that much again. So, simply having multiple blackouts is an indication of a possible, and likely, problem.

Solution - The only way to avoid blackouts is to reduce or eliminate drinking.

    

Hangovers

Definition - A hangover is a collection of symptoms resulting from excessive drinking. There is not an exact definition; symptoms vary from individual to individual. The most common complaints are headache, nausea, sluggishness, and irritability.

Cause - The cause is excessive consumption and the withdrawal of alcohol from the body.

Solution - Despite popular myth, there are no hangover cures, except, of course, less consumption.

    

Tolerance

Definition - In terms of drinking, tolerance is the body's adaptation to increasing amounts of alcohol while seemingly affecting behavior less. The more frequently a person takes the drug, and the higher the dose, the more likely it is that tolerance will develop. Often, drinkers are under the misunderstanding that developing a high tolerance is beneficial, but this is not true. Subjecting your body to increasingly higher quantities of alcohol or other drug is simply not healthy.

Cause - A person develops tolerance by drinking increasing quantity and frequency over a period of time.

Solution - Maintaining a low tolerance is important. To prevent the development of a higher tolerance, do not increase the amount of alcohol consumed and do not drink frequently