Pain Killers That Kill

…Did you know that 70% of Americans are using at least one prescription drug?…

In the past 20 years, the use of prescription stimulants has increased exponentially from 5 million to 45 million. With this increase of prescription drug use, the increase of abuse has also risen. Prescription drug abuse has become the fastest growing drug problem. The abuse of prescription drugs has caused more deaths than car accidents in the past year; it is also the 3rd leading cause of accidental death in the country.  So, why is this important to us?

As we think about the abuse of prescription drugs we start to wonder who’s doing it, how they are getting the drugs, and where it is most common. One group of people abusing prescription drugs are college-aged students. There are a few common reasons that college students abuse prescription drugs. The biggest reason?…To get high and relieve stress related to work, school, relationships, and finances. Students also use ADHD medications to stay up all night to study for a test. What these students don’t realize is just how dangerous this can be.  There are other ways to cope!

Although the percentage of college students abusing prescription drugs is quite high, the average number of students abusing prescription drugs at UND is quite low. According to the ACHA-NCHA survey and the KNOW campaign, 97.3% of students at UND do NOT abuse prescription drugs. This is an amazing and encouraging statistic! I hope UND students keep aspiring to stay drug- free and healthy. If you or a friend is struggling with a drug problem, get help right away. There are two great places to go on campus for help; Student Health Services and the University Counseling Center.

McCannel Hall, Room #200; 701.777.2127

McCannel Hall Room #100; 701.777.4500

The Line Continued Out the Door…

The line continued out the door– I was sure that we would run out of root beer and t-shirts by the end of the night. Having the opportunity to share many different messages regarding both alcohol and drug use, and sexual assault was extremely rewarding. The Health & Wellness Hub was very excited to be doing this for the second year in a row at Pi Kappa Alpha. It’s safe to say the House Party tour was a huge hit last week and we reached over 400 UND students!

Did you miss out on the party? Here’s what happened… Both student employees of the Health & Wellness Hub and volunteers from Housing, Fraternity/Sorority Life, and the OT program acted out scenes of a house party, including public urination, sexual violence, vomiting, alcohol overdose, and marijuana, as students were guided through the house to see every scene.  With assistance, the University’s Police department was in attendance helping act out the public urination scene, as well.

Taegan & I had a great time at the House Party!

We are super excited to celebrate the success of our event. Here’s what UND students told us they learned from attending the House Party:

1. 87.5% of UND students agreed or strongly agreed that the House Party increased their understanding of the negative effects of binge drinking;
2. 90.7% of UND students agreed or strongly agreed that the House Party increased their understanding of the North Dakota Medical Amnesty Act;
3. 90.2% of UND students agreed or strongly agreed that the House Party increased their awareness of UND campus and Grand Forks community alcohol and drug resources;
4. 89.7% of UND students agreed or strongly agreed that the House Party increased their understanding of the relationship between alcohol and sexual violence.

Thanks to all those who helped support us in our second annual House Party! If you missed it, we hope to see you next year.

Four-Legged Fox Trot

Running in denim seems really uncomfortable… Anyways.

I was on a run the other day trying to explore this new wonderful place called Grand Forks. Shortly into the run I was no longer very aware of my surroundings because something was on my mind: sex. The old myth is that guys think about sex every seven seconds, when the truth is that it’s only a couple times a day for both genders, but that day, on that run, I was really focused on it. Not wanting to get down to the nitty gritty of it all but I was thinking about my first time and how woefully unprepared I was. Hmm, I wonder if there are others out there who have had similar experiences? When I say woefully unprepared, I do mean it. I’ve had the opportunity to take a sexual education class in both the 6th grade and the 8th; these were offered in two different schools that were in two different states.

Unfortunately, my parents opted me out of those classes because…uh…religious beliefs? I was opted out of a lot of things in public school because of content. I later became really good at forging my dad’s signature which allowed me to watch a flurry of rated R movies in class. Unfortunately, I learned those forging techniques a little too late because participating in those sex education classes would have been pretty helpful.

Ugh no fair. Why do all those other kids get to talk about vaginas?

I didn’t become sexually active until I started college, but even though I thought I was ready for the act itself, I was unprepared for the experience as a whole. I actually had never even seen a condom out of its package until that point. I’m glad I had a partner who knew their stuff. I mean, sure, I had high speed internet before that point, but when it came to content that dealt with sex, it wasn’t educational. After that, I made a point to inform myself about everything associated with sex. I became informed of safe sex practices, disease prevention, and also became interested in what is going on at a physiological and psychological level when two people have intercourse.

I put it on upside down…every….single…time. Condoms are like USB devices for the male body

I hope that education systems are becoming more effective at teaching youth about sexual education. It is also my hope that parents won’t deny access for their children to sexual health classes and lessons because those two weeks where I didn’t participate, I was exceptionally bored and remember feeling incredibly awkward. If you didn’t receive all the tools and knowledge necessary to make informed decisions pertaining to sexual activity, I really hope that you would take this time, this freedom, to educate yourself about sex.

8 Laws You Should KNOW

As part of the KNOW campaign, a new awareness flyer has been distributed by the University Police Department and Grand Forks Police Department to many homes and apartments on campus and in the community. In case you missed it, here’s the high-tech version of this info.

1. Under 21: Purchase or procurement of alcohol

Punishment: Criminal offense and/or up to 30 days in jail.

 

 

 

 

 

 Under 21 + alcohol = trouble.

 

2. Fake ID: possession and manufacture of false identification

Punishment: Criminal offense up to $1,000 fine and/or up to 30 days in jail.

  If you get caught, you can spend some nice quality time getting to know “McLovin’” or “Sandy Patterson” or whoever you said you were.

3. Noisy Party: Violation: noisy party or gathering

Punishment: Criminal offense up to $1,000 fine/or up to 30 days in jail.

Nobody wants to listen to the Beibs at 4 AM.

4. Public Drinking: consumption of alcoholic beverages prohibited on public streets or alleys

Punishment: Noncriminal breach of peace and order: up to $1,000 fine.

Don’t party on the way to the party.

5. Serving Minors: Purchase or procurement of alcohol beverages for minors prohibited

Punishment: Criminal offense Up to $1,000 fine and/or up to 30 days in jail.

 

 

 

 

They can wait, just like everybody else.

6. Disorderly Conduct

Punishment: Criminal offense up to $1,000 fine and/or up to 30 days in jail.

Hide your crazy, boys and girls.

7. Marijuana: possession of marijuana.
Punishment: Criminal offense Up to $1,000 fine and/or up to 30 days in jail.

 

 

 

 

 

Keep off the grass. And speaking of…

8. Trespassing: It is unlawful for any person to intentionally trespass in, on, or upon the property of another.
Punishment: Criminal offense Up to $1,000 fine and/or up to 30 days in jail.

Get off of my lawn.

KNOW the Facts

Know the Facts

Many of you have probably heard lots of stories about your fellow students getting so drunk and intoxicated at a party that they could barely stand. Or maybe you have heard stories of how someone drank a whole case of  beer and barely had a hangover the next day. Although these stories can be entertaining, there may be only a little bit of truth to them.

A survey was sent out to UND students asking them if they binge drank within the past fourteen days. Surprisingly, 2 out of 3 UND students said that they did NOT binge drink. This statistic shows that although we hear a lot of stories about raging parties where everyone is drinking, not that many students actually engage in binge drinking.

To most students, this fact is super encouraging. Often we hear sayings like, “Come on, everyone is doing it!” and, “You don’t want to be the only one missing out on a great time.” But the reality is that everyone is not doing it when it comes to binge drinking. Now that you know this fact, use it to your advantage and add it to your knowledge for the next time that you feel pressured to drink when you really don’t want to.

Here are some excuses to use when you are feeling pressured to drink:

• Simply say, “No thanks.”
• “I’d like to…but I’m cutting back on alcohol this month.”
• “I’m the designated driver tonight so I won’t be drinking.”
• Give a reason why drinking (especially excessive drinking) is a bad idea
• Make a joke
• Suggest a different activity
• Leave the scene

Saying “no” facts provided by http://www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/k12/safeandcaring/students/peerpressure.html

Running with Lynn Show

Good morning UND, we are looking at a sunny day today with a high of 72, right now we are setting with a high a of 42.
The Weather is so nice I can understand if everyone wants to stay out side but just in case you want a break here is the movie of the week.

[The Maze Runner]
When Thomas wakes up trapped in a massive maze with a group of other boys, he has no memory of the outside world other than strange dreams about a mysterious organization known as W.C.K.D. Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze can Thomas hope to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape. “This is it true believers can Thomas uncover his true purpose and find his way to escape?” Only one way to find out, catch this Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller movie only at the River Cinema.

The Running Show brings you [Tales of Dating]
9/9/79 was the date, I get the call at 5:35am, she says she wants to meet for lunch, I think to myself oh man nobody moves from dinner to lunch, that’s like being demoted.

“Have a great day everyone”

House Party