星空传媒

Need a good rule of thumb for drinking responsibly? One drink per hour鈥攊f at all鈥攔educes many of the risk factors that go along with alcohol consumption. The legal age to drink is 21. Keep in mind that the vast majority of 星空传媒 students drink responsibly or not at all; the legal age to drink is 21.

Parents: Talk soon, often about college drinking

College is exciting! Homecoming, Halloween, Spring Break, St. Patrick鈥檚 Day, and Greek Week are just a few of the events students relish during the academic year. 星空传媒 Student Affairs recognizes the critical role parents play as their students navigate exhilarating college experiences.

Parents are key to student decisions to drink responsibly鈥攐r not at all鈥攊n the days ahead.

鈥淪tudent health and safety are priority at 星空传媒. We engage parents and guardians by enlisting their help in addressing student alcohol use,鈥� says Julie Saker, Interim Dean of Students. 鈥淲e aim to minimize the negative effects of this serious public health issue by encouraging you to talk with your student in a meaningful and productive way.鈥�

Thanks to a grant and partnership with Prevention Action Alliance in Columbus, parents now have access to a publication that will help them do just that. A Parent Handbook for Talking with College Students about Alcohol is rooted in years of research and provides a variety of strategies and topics designed to assist parents when they talk to their college-age children.

Electronic copies of the handbook are now available.

鈥淲hile we recognize that every parent has their own unique style and relationship with their student, we think you will find the contents of this handbook helpful,鈥� says Saker. 鈥淩esearch shows having an honest, face-to-face conversation with your student has a positive effect on their attitude toward alcohol 鈥� and it is essential to continue the conversation throughout college.鈥�

A parent may be the first person to detect if something is wrong, Saker says.

鈥淪uch a time would be ideal to bring up college drinking. Let your student know that your concern is coming from a place of care, and be upfront about how you feel and what you expect. Talk soon and often,鈥� she says.

Below is the link to a free E-copy of A Parent Handbook for Talking with College Students about Alcohol. For more information, please call Student Affairs at 614-823-1250 or email jmccullough@otterbein.edu.

Parent Handbook for Talking with College Students about Alcohol (pdf)

Believe it or not, there is little or no academic benefit associated with non-medical use of prescription stimulants. A Study from the University of Maryland examined the non-medical use of prescription stimulant medication and its impact on grade point averages (GPAs). It found that students who abstained from non-medical use of prescription stimulants had improvement in GPA, while students who engaged in non-medical use showed no increases in their GPAs and gained no advantage over both groups of their peers tracked in the study. What鈥檚 more, students with ADHD and a valid prescription feel enormously pressured to share:

• More than half (60%) of the 192 students surveyed with a valid prescription for stimulants have been approached by their peers to divert their medication. Of those students who have been approached, 65% felt pressure to divert their medication even though they did not want to.
• 63% of students with a valid prescription for stimulants always take as prescribed.

Taking medications that are not prescribed to you is dangerous and illegal. If you are worried about yourself or a friend, a Wellness Staff Member will be happy to help (614-823-1250).

No one plans to be an addict. Addiction is sneaky. It can start with a sports injury, a wisdom tooth extraction, an accident, an ache or pain. Too often, an appropriate prescription pain medicine turns into something else. Addiction. Overdose. Death. A simple surgery or injury can turn into addiction if one is not vigilant. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, people prescribed opioid painkillers are 40 times more likely to be addicted to heroin.

If you or someone you know suffers from opioid addiction, there are a number of on- and off-campus resources available, including:

Student Wellness, 614-823-1250, wellness@otterbein.edu
The Counseling Center, 614-823-1333, counseling@otterbein.edu
Office of Religious & Spiritual Life, 614-823-1409
星空传媒 Police Department, 614-823-1222, police@otterbein.edu
Student Affairs, 614-823-1250, wellness@otterbein.edu
Student Health Resources
Women鈥檚 Gender & Sexuality Resource Center, 614-823-1028, wgsrc@otterbein.edu

• Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization 鈥� BRAVO, 1-866-86 BRAVO (27286),
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255),
• Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio, 614-267-7020
• Crisis Text Line: Text 4hope to 741741
• Tyler鈥檚 Light,
• ADAMH Board of Franklin County, 614-224-1057,
• CHOICES Behavioral Health Care, 419-865-5690,
• Access Ohio LLC., 614-985-3112,