Substance Abuse Awareness Week at SUU
Posted: October 24, 2025 | Author: River Deuel | Read Time: 2 minutes
Substance abuse is a prevalent issue across the United States. According to the National Library of Medicine, substance use in college populations has been correlated with lower academic performance and a higher probability of unemployment after graduation. Through Substance Abuse Awareness Week, the Southern Utah University’s Health and Wellness Center aims to educate students on the prevalence of substance abuse, risk factors, and safe drug disposal methods
eCheckUptoGo
On October 27th, the Health and Wellness Center will have QR codes available for a survey called eCheckUpToGo. These surveys include questions that help students gauge how healthy their relationship with alcohol and cannabis is. There will also be Halloween candy and the opportunity to enter to win a $50 gift card for the SUU Bookstore from 11 am to 1 pm.
Take Back Day
The 29th of October is Take Back Day. The topic of the day will be safe disposal of old, expired, or unwanted medication. It is not recommended to throw them away or flush them down a sink or toilet, as they could still be found in the trash and could contaminate the water supply. Alternatively, medication should be taken to a safe drop-off point, such as the SUU medication drop-off point that can always be found inside of the SUU Campus Police Station. For Take Back Day, this drop-off point will be temporarily moved from the police station to the Health and Wellness Center.
Social-Norming
On October 30th from 11 am to 1 pm, a tabling event about social-norming will take place outside of the Health and Wellness Center. Social-norming is the concept that individuals internalize the messages around them, which can alter their perception of what is “normal” and influence their behavior. For example, if a college student believes that most of their peers are excessively drinking alcohol, they are more likely to believe that excessive drinking is normal and more likely to participate in it. The goal of this tabling event is to reframe the prevalence of substance use with real numbers.
These activities will educate T-birds on substance abuse, risk factors, and safe drug disposal. Although these activities only take place over the course of a week, there are many places to go for help year-round, such as CAPS, Timely Care, and Southwest Behavioral Health Center. The Health and Wellness Center Substance Abuse Prevention Program is also available to T-birds to learn more about this topic and find other helpful resources.
Tags: Student CurStu Health and Wellness Campus Resources
