FROSH 2024: UCalgary Recovery Community and substance use on campus

By Reyam Jamaleddine, September 3 2024—

Being in a new space can feel overwhelming. Turning to substances can be something student’s use to cope with feelings of loneliness and anxiety. Substance abuse of marijuana, alcohol or prescription drugs can lead to addiction, mental health issues and subsequent academic decline. Just remember that you are not alone and there are resources and communities available on campus and off campus if you are facing a substance abuse crisis or are curious about substance usage. Students should be aware of the risks and should be able to make informed decisions when it comes to substance use. 

There are resources on the U of C’s Safer Substance Use page that informs students about the best decisions to make when consuming substances. This is a base for students to go to when seeking information about substance use. 

The UCalgary Recovery Community (UCRC) is a safe space for all students who are experiencing substance abuse or who are questioning their relationship with the consumption and usage of substances. The UCRC is an inclusive and peer-driven space that is geared towards mitigating and rejecting addiction stigma on campus. 

In early 2024, the University of Calgary became the first post secondary institution in Alberta to have a physical space dedicated to supporting students, staff and faculty who are in recovery. This space is located in Yamnuska hall, next to the Subway. The UCRC offers drop-in spaces, events, discussions and resources. Encouraging and facilitating open dialogue can help increase harm-reduction for students and makes moving away from a culture of abstinence and a lack of information towards informed decision making skills for students on campus, stigma free. 

In addition to these resources, all students on campus can have naloxone kit training and a naloxone kit. Naloxone is an injectable medication that reverses the harmful effects of opioids in instances of crisis for 30 – 60 minutes, allowing the person to breathe while help is on the way. The Student Wellness Centre provides naloxone kits as well as training for students to be equipped with administering naloxone injections. 

Take a breather — becoming accustomed to a new environment is daunting, and that’s why it is always important to remember that there is a community there for you in times of need — stigma free and with no judgment. Being informed and aware are great ways to keep yourself and our campus community safe. 

This article is a part of our Voices section and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gauntlet editorial board.