SUBSTANCE USE HEALTH
Substance Use Health
Campus Wellness and Education tackles complex issues including alcohol, smoking, and substance use. We team up with other campus groups to educate and converse with students about topics such as harm reduction and safe partying. We run regularly scheduled harm reduction programs throughout the year and offer different workshops and opportunity for students to engage with this topic. Whether you don’t use, are planning to continue using or want to explore options to reduce use, we are here for you!
Important Update:
“The street drug supply in B.C. is more toxic and unpredictable than ever. Any street drug can be poisoned, not just opioids. It can be hard to know what’s in the substances you’re taking. Even if they came from a source you trust, like a friend or roommate. Even if you only take a little, or if it’s your first time, the risks are real. It’s important to know how to prevent, recognize and respond to an overdose.” – The Government of British Columbia
- For information about naloxone training and harm reduction services on campus, see the below programs.
- Emegency nasal naloxone is located in buildings across campus next to the automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
- Fentanyl test strips available in Picnic (UNC 122b, open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm).
- Visit drugchecking.ca for more information about drug checking services in the community.
Programs
1. Naloxone Training
Wednesdays | 12pm – 2pm | Picnic (UNC 122b)
Thursdays | 4pm – 5pm | Residence Wellness Hub (NCH 251)
September – April
Naloxone is a free, publicly available medication that can reverse a drug poisoning. When someone receives naloxone, it reverses the effects of opioids and can safe their life! Training is very simple, and only takes about 10 minutes.
2. Harm Reduction Team (HaRT) Outreach
Various Locations and Times
September – April
The UBCO Harm Reduction Team (HaRT) is always up to something new! You might find us giving our treats and resources throughout the week. Or hosting fun events with campus partners!
Stay in the loop by following @ubcoaccesswellbeing on Instagram or check out the UBCO Events Calendar.
3. Come Say “High”
Mondays & Wednesdays | 11am – 12:30pm | UNC 337
September – April
Come say “High” to our Harm Reduction Team (HaRT)! It’s free and confidential. You don’t need to make an appointment. We have our own office in the counselling department in UNC 337 (it’s the first door on the left).
Drop in for a chat with a team member to learn how to access drug checking, ask questions about safer use, and access fentanyl test strips.
4. Recovery Conversations
Every Other Tuesday | 1pm – 2:30pm | Nechako Rm 221
September – April
Are you wanting to reduce or eliminate your substance usage? Every other Tuesday, a support group holds space for individuals exploring their alcohol and substance use. Join a small group of peers on a similar journey, and come ready to discover what recovery could look like for you.
*No registration is required. Please drop in.
What to expect: This group is led by a UBCO mental health and substance use professional and is intended to support individuals looking to manage their alcohol, drug, or substance use. Group sizes will be kept intentionally small to allow for candid conversations (10-14 students). While the facilitator will come prepared with topics for discussion, organic conversation is encouraged. Come prepared to share and unpack!
5. Priority Substance Use Topics
Smoke-free Campus: Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in BC, Canada and Globally. Campus Wellness has worked hard to provide free quit-smoking resources on campus such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy, as well as counselling through Health & Wellness and peer support through the Peer Support Network. Join us as we work to support people on their journey to quit and aim to become one of almost 100 other universities across Canada that have gone smoke-free!
Vaping: Vaping devices heat a liquid into an aerosol so that it may be inhaled into your lungs. Vape fluids and their bi-products can include nicotine, ultrafine particles, diacetyl (flavouring chemicals that cause serious lung injury), volatile organic compounds, heavy metals and other carcinogenic, cancer-causing chemicals. Campus Wellness is committed to understanding why people vape, disseminating information about lower risk vape use and its dangers, and helping people quit. Join our team to contribute to this exciting project.
Cannabis on Campus: The federal Cannabis Act was passed in 2018 and it defines which forms of cannabis are legal, how it may be sold and how much a person may possess. With cannabis now legal in Canada we have an opportunity to address the effects of cannabis and how to use cannabis in a lower-risk way on our campus. Join us as we spread education on our campus and seek community input on their relationship with cannabis.
Illicit Drugs & Harm Reduction: In April 2016, the Public Health Officer of BC declared a state of emergency in response to the increasing rate of drug overdoses. Sadly, 2020 was BC’s deadliest year for illicit drug toxicity deaths; there was a total of 1,716 overdose deaths in 2020 (4.7 deaths/day), a 74% increase from 2019. Join Campus Wellness Harm Reduction Team (HaRT) to educate our campus and communities on lower-risk use, overdose prevention, drug-checking, and recovery support options.
Information and Resources
Harm Reduction Team (HaRT)
Information about Vaping and Smoking
Naloxone Training
Designated Smoking Areas
How We Got Here
Information coming soon