Students get help for their substance abuse

With high stress levels on Norwich students, the Substance Abuse Prevention Office is actively assisting students in quitting chewing tobacco and challenging others to an alcohol-free experiment, according to the director of the office.

 "This year, there seems to be an increased number of students that are abusing chewing tobacco," said Gail Mears, the director of the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Office.

In response to this increase, Mears has developed a program to wean students off dip and towards a nicotine-free life; this helps the rooks who are not allowed to use tobacco products and encourages a healthier lifestyle.

Students began to approach Mears in the beginning of this semester to seek help.

"They were dipping before they came to campus, and then they became rooks and began to assimilate into the program without using, they were faced with withdrawal symptoms," Mears said.

Dipping is a very hard addiction to quit, because the nicotine levels are so high. One tin of chewing tobacco is equivalent of four packs of cigarettes, which make this habit "a very difficult one to quit," Mears said.

"I dipped for four years straight, up until the day I arrived on campus," said 18-year-old Nick Bronson, a freshman history major from Herkimer, N.Y.

"I would wake up in the middle of the night with the sweats and shakes and be constantly uncomfortable. I started to bite the inside of my lip and make it bleed," Bronson said. When his withdrawals became this bad, he talked with another rook who mentioned the help offered at the Substance Abuse office, according to Bronson, who immediately went to talk with Mears.

Mears has been providing students such as Bronson with a substitute dip, known as mint snuff.

"You mix a pinch of the real dip with the fake snuff while gradually decreasing the amount of real dip, to get your body to stop wanting so much nicotine," Bronson said.

 "It is just as dangerous as weaning yourself off any other drug because it messes with your mind," Bronson said, who expresses that it will be a long process, but one that will leave him healthier.

The Substance Abuse Office not only provides the mint snuff substitute for the students, but sets up meetings at the students' convenience to check in and see how they are doing as they quit using chewing tobacco, according to Mears.

"The office is very helpful and everyone is approachable, as if I were talking to my friend about my problem," Bronson said.

In addition to using the mint snuff, Mears offers acupuncture and serious mediation as a form of detox.

"The cravings the kids deal with make them miserable," Mears said, therefore these resources aid in providing relaxation and a refocusing.

"I recommend anyone to go to the office to get help if they need it," Bronson said, who is still in the process of quitting, but is suffering a decreased amount of withdrawal symptoms.

For students such as Daniel Galvin, 18, criminal justice major from Gimble, Mass., withdrawals were not that intense, but "we were introduced to the Substance Abuse Office during rook week orientation and I am glad to know it's there."

Galvin used dip up until rook arrival day, and "with the stress levels that you face when you're here, the first thing you want to do is throw in a lip," Galvin said, "but at the same time you're always doing something, so throwing in dip became the last thing on my mind."

The main goal of the Substance Abuse Prevention Office is to "spread education in order to help the students at NU avoid developing a problem," according to Mears.

The office has been actively involved with the students on campus since 2004, "advocating students to educate for prevention," Mears said, "in the most creative and exciting ways to reach the community."

As a student work study employee at the office, Cathleen Mallette, a 21-year-old senior psychology major from Ticonderoga, N.Y., explained the Substance Abuse Office as, "more of a student health and wellness office."

Located on the third floor of the Wise Campus Center, the office offers a wide range of resources, according to Mears.

Another new program this year is called Hello Sunday Morning, which was created in the United Kingdom. Norwich is the first group to try it in the United States.

Hello Sunday Morning is an alcohol-free challenge for students.

"We are challenging students to go 90 days without drinking alcohol," Mears said. The experiment is simple, but the outcome is great, according to Mears.

NU had 38 students take the oath to not drink and they are on their honor to maintain the promise for 90 days, Mears explained. If the participants are successful, then they are placed in a drawing to win $200, which "is a nice incentive," Mallette said.

As a participant in Hello Sunday Morning, Mallette took on the pledge for a personal challenge. "If I cannot go from Oct. 15 to Jan. 15 without drinking, then what does that say about me?" Mallette said.

This time of year is particularly difficult, with holiday breaks and New Years included in the 90-day period, which is a time often surrounded with alcohol, according to both Mears and Mallette.

The program is titled Hello Sunday Morning because on Sunday morning the participants are asked to blog about how they are feeling and the benefits or drawbacks of not drinking. "I talk about what it's like to be the sober one, or you can even challenge other people on the blogs," Mallette said.

Although it is still early in the program, Mallette is seeing a great deal of benefits. "I am not only saving a ton of money by not drinking, but I now have the chance to win money in the end, not to mention it is great for my health," Mallette said.

"It is a little awkward explaining to people why I am not drinking, but they are respectful about my decision," Mallette said.

"It is interesting to watch everyone from a sober perspective," Mallette said, "I still go out with my buddies and haven't really had to change my social activities. If anything, I am just an available designated driver for my friends."

"So far, Hello Sunday Morning is going well, and we hope to start another one of shorter length in January," Mears said. It is a great way to spread education on the proper use of alcohol, because students learn best from their peers, according to Mears.

The Substance Abuse Prevention Office is striving for all students on campus to be properly educated. "Stay tuned for upcoming events" because the office is willing to help any student that needs guidance, according to Mears.