Health and Wellness

College can be very stressful and, at times, students turn to drug or alcohol as a way to cope. There are many dangers associated with drugs and alcohol use and more importantly, drug and alcohol abuse provides barriers to student success. Underage drinking and illegal drug use are significant public health problems which exact an enormous toll on the intellectual and social lives of students on campuses across the United States.

A college policy and procedure has been developed which contains information about drugs of abuse and dangers of alcohol use. Also, the campus procedure includes information regarding legal challenges that students face if they abuse drugs and alcohol. Educational resources can be found in the ACE, in an annual student email, in the Student Handbook and by visiting the websites listed on the page.

Alcohol Use and Abuse

Drinking at college has become a ritual that students often see as an integral part of their higher education experience. Many students come to college with established drinking habits, and the college environment can exacerbate the problem. According to a national survey, almost 55 percent of college students ages 18-22 drank alcohol in the past month, and more than 1 out of 3 of them engaged in binge drinking during that same timeframe. (https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/college-drinking). Potential consequences of drinking among college students include the following:

• academic problems such as missing classes and performing poorly on projects or tests
• loss of institutional scholarship or sanctions related not following the guidelines of the scholarship
• involvement in physical altercations
• increased likelihood of becoming the victim of sexual assault
• motor vehicle accidents
• legal issues related to underage drinking
• death from alcohol overdose.

Marijuana Use and Abuse

Although recreational marijuana use for people over 21 years old became legal in Illinois in January 2020, it is against college policies to use marijuana on the campus and many activities and programs prohibit using the drug. Contrary to popular belief, marijuana is addictive. Research shows that:

• 1-in-6 people who start using the drug before the age of 18 can become addicted.
• 1-in-10 adults who use the drug can become addicted (found at: https://www.samhsa.gov/marijuana)

For example, use of marijuana carries real risk for health and quality of life. Todays marijuana has more than 3 times the concentration of THC than marijuana from 25 years ago. More THC the mind-altering chemical in marijuana may lead to an increase in dependency and addiction. Use of marijuana impairs your memory, affects your performance, lowers your brain performance, presents driving dangers and if pregnant, can harm your baby.

Drug Use and Abuse

Opioids have become drugs of abuse in recent years and created a national health crisis. Opioids are medications prescribed by physicians for pain relief and are very addictive

Illicit drugs include amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, heroin, ketamine, ecstasy, mescaline, angel dust, mushrooms and steroids (and more). All of these drugs have long term effects of physical and/or psychological dependence and other negative impacts to health and wellness. Also, use of these drugs without supervision of a physician carries legal consequences for the user

The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Policy & Procedure can be found by using the KC Policy and Procedure website.

Drug Information & Resources:

• Narcotics Anonymous
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health
• Addictions.com
• Narcotics.com
• Rehabs.org
• freerehabcenters.org

Alcohol Information & Resources:

• College AIM
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• A.A. Near You

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SAFE (Sexual Assault and Family Emergencies)

SAFE is a non-profit crisis resource offering free medical/legal advocacy and counseling services to survivors of sexual assault, as well as support to family and friends of the survivor. Safe provides educational and community outreach services to the campus community.

If you are in need of services, please contact:

24 Hour Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-625-1414
Email: safe@safecrisiscenter.org

Lactation Room

KC has a dedicated space for mothers who are breastfeeding. The lactation room is located inside the women's restroom in Science and Technology Building Room 200 (ST 200).

Gender Neutral / Family Restroom Locations

• A 113A – Dressing room near stage
• A 122A – Dressing room near stage
• HB 202 – Faculty area on 2nd floor HB
• HB 204 – Faculty area on 2nd floor HB
• ST 118 – ST Annex hallway
• AEC 115 – Agricultural Education Building
• N Family Restroom– Located with Faculty Offices in Nursing Building
• LLC – Across from the HPC building

Additional On-Campus Resources

• Campus Security
• Fitness Center
• Fitness Trail
• Centralia Main Campus

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SWIFT Resource Directory

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Timelycare offers 24/7 access to virtual care, self-care, and well-being tools including mental health counseling resources. This services is confidential and free to current KC students.

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