Talking About Substance Use with College Students
Communication Tips
As students transition to college life, some will be at greater risk for developing potentially dangerous drinking patterns than others.
Studies show that parents can have a profound influence on their student’s decisions if they understand the characteristics of the drinking scene young adults will be exposed to, and talk with them about healthy ways to safely navigate that scene.
Read below for a few ways you can be a positive influence in your student’s decision-making process.
Relationships
Build a relationship with your student now. Talking with them about alcohol and marijuana should be an ongoing series of conversations that will continue throughout their college career, not a one-time discussion. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.
The effectiveness of your communication about alcohol and cannabis/marijuana is reflective of the relationship you have with your student. Is there a pattern of open communication in your relationship? Have you discussed difficult issues with them (i.e. sex, drugs, friends, and especially alcohol and drug use)?
Communication
Accurate information about the current drinking and marijuana scene at Creighton University is vital to help your credibility when talking to their students. If students know their families are informed, they’re more likely to take what their families say seriously and talk honestly about drinking and marijuana use.
To receive a copy of the data our Community Standards and Student Conduct team gathers, please contact communitystandards@creighton.edu.
Harm Reduction
You can help prevent high-risk drinking and substance misuse by talking directly and openly about alcohol and marijuana and sharing your expectations for your student's behavior.
- More about harm reduction.
Scare tactics don't work.
Let’s face it; the human brain does not like to receive negative messages. Instead of bombarding your student with facts or statistics, try to empathize with the experiences your student may be having, like:
- Pressure to fit in
- The desire to relax after finals
- Wanting to forget unpleasant emotions
- Struggling with academic pressures
When families recognize factors that may influence their students’ decisions and understand the characteristics of the college drinking and marijuana scene young adults are exposed to, they can effectively talk with them about healthy ways to safely navigate their environment.
What to Talk About
Family Values Around Drinking
Prepare to discuss:
- When drinking is and isn’t appropriate
- Is alcohol involved in family get-togethers? If so, how is safe drinking modeled by adults?
- What messages about drinking did you send to your student as they were growing up?
- What are the family beliefs about drinking socially?
- What are some family values that may be affected if unhealthy drinking occurs? Some families have concerns that drinking may lead to problems related to sexual activity, physical health, productivity in school and careers.
Why People Choose to Drink
Speak to things like:
- Peer pressure
- Escape from the stresses of college life
- Misperception that everyone is drinking, or it’s just part of college life
How to Stay Safe if Drinking
Be open to talking about topics like:
- Limit drinks to one per hour
- Only accept drinks from people you trust
- Have a glass of water between drinks
- Stay with a group
- It’s OK to leave early if you feel overserved
Strategize Together
Invite your student into the conversation and talk about topics like those below.
- Alternatives: Make sure your student has a plan to suggest some activities with friends instead of drinking or using marijuana.
- Use humor: If your student typically converses with a lot of humor, advise them to use it to think of things to say that can get them out of a bad situation. Encourage them to make humorous statements on their own, so it’s something they feel confident in.
- Be a good actor: Students often report holding a drink but not actually drinking it. This trick helps so others will leave them alone and not pressure them to drink something.
- Share responsibility: Have your student talk with a friend before the party to share a plan to stay safe. Encourage them to ask their friend to help make sure they both stick to the plan.
- Plan ahead: Most underage drinking occurs at parties, and in most cases, your student knows that alcohol will be at the party. Students may also be more likely to use cannabis/marijuana in social situations. They need to have a plan for how they’re going to deal with the situation, so they’ll stay safe.
- Leave the scene: Suggest your student have a plan for how to get home if there’s no one at the party who has not been drinking or using marijuana/cannabis or if they’re in a situation they feel is unsafe.
- Turn pressure around: Question the other person about their intentions. Effective phrases to set clear and firm boundaries include:
- “Why are you trying so hard to make me do something I don’t want to do?”
- “I told you, no. I’m not going to do that.”
- “Stop pressuring me.”
- “What kind of friend are you to keep pressuring me? Back off.”
- Encourage assertiveness: One of the most important ways for your student to stay safe is to develop assertiveness. Whether it’s related to being assertive and standing firm in their plans for how to deal with being offered alcohol or in how much they’ll drink, assertiveness will help minimize the risks they’ll have.
