KNOW what and how much is in your cup.

• One standard drink = 1.5oz of 80-proof liquor, 5 oz. of wine, or 12 oz. of beer
• Pouring your own drinks using the above measurements helps reduce risks of undesired outcomes such as consuming more than intended, the B.A.C. increasing too quickly, or consuming a substance other than alcohol that could have been added to the beverage by someone else.
• Avoiding common source alcoholic beverages such as “party punch,” as it is difficult to know how much alcohol it may contain.
  

KNOW how alcohol effects your brain.

• Alcohol can exacerbate your underlying mood. If you choose to drink, check in with your mood before you consume any amount of alcohol and consider not drinking if you feel anxious, depressed, angry, lonely, or another emotion you do not want to amplify.
• Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication between the midbrain (instincts, fight or flight, motor functions) and the frontal cortex (decision-making, logic).
• Alcohol impairs balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and other core motor functions.
• High risk alcohol consumption can cause blackouts, which prevents short term memories from being transferred into long term memory in the hippocampus.

KNOW how alcohol effects your body.

• Alcohol is absorbed through the bloodstream. Each person may experience this quite differently based on a number of personal factors: an individual’s Blood Alcohol Content (B.A.C.) can be impacted by weight, height, gender, hormones, medications, genetics, etc. plus how much and how quickly the person is drinking.
• Avoid trying to “keep up” with others’ drinking or pressuring friends to “keep up” with you. Every individual has their own relationship with alcohol – respect that!
• According to the NIAAA, High Risk Drinking = 5 or more standard drinks per occasion for males and 4 or more standard drinks per occasion for females. An “occasion” is a two hour period.

KNOW that you should not drive after consuming alcohol. 

• Alcohol affects the brain and body’s normal functions by inhibiting reaction time, coordination, vision, and other motor skills.
• In the state of Texas, the legal limit of intoxication is 0.08% but it is recognized that driving (or boating) can be impaired under any amount of alcohol. It is illegal for any person under the age of 21 to drive with any detectable amount of alcohol in their system.
• If you choose to drink, always have a sober, designated driver.

KNOW that alcohol causes dehydration.

• Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes the body to remove fluids from the blood through the renal system, which includes the kidneys, ureters, and bladder, at a much quicker rate than other liquids.
• Alternating alcoholic beverages with a non-alcoholic beverage like water may help the body process the alcohol and replenish bodily fluids.

KNOW that not “everybody” drinks.

• A common misperception is assuming that more people are drinking than the actual reality. At TCU specifically, a survey of undergraduate students in the Spring of 2022 found that 27.5% of students reported NOT drinking at all in the past 30 days.
• A person may make the decision to not drink for any number of reasons. They may not like the taste or the effects produced, they may be a person in recovery, they may not drink for religious reasons, they are waiting until they are of legal age, among many other reasons!
• A fantastic response to someone who says they are not drinking is “Ok! Can I get you something else?”

KNOW that it is more risky to mix alcohol with other substances.

• Mixing other substances with alcohol can result in dangerous and unexpected reactions in the body and the brain.
• Depending on the substances and the quantity that is combined, the person using could experience paranoia, breathing difficulties, vomiting, increased heart rate, dehydration, heat stroke, blackouts, and other undesired outcomes.

KNOW that where you drink does matter.

• You may have heard of alcohol tolerance…but did you know that tolerance is situational? In this video, Dr. Jason Kilmer explains how your situation can impact the affect alcohol has on you, and how drinking in locations that are new to you can increase your risk of alcohol overdose.

KNOW that you can overdose on alcohol.

• Alcohol poisoning occurs when someone consumes too much alcohol for the body to filter out of the blood, causing the body to shut down important core functions such as consciousness, regulating body temperature, and the respiratory system. Alcohol poisoning can be fatal and should be taken very seriously.
• TCU has a Medical Amnesty/Good Samaritan Policy to encourage students to call for help if they are concerned that someone is experiencing alcohol poisoning.
  

KNOW the Cannabis laws and policies in your area.

• While retail sales for age 21+ of Cannabis are legal in some states, it remains illegal in Texas, as well as federally at this time.
• If you chose to use Cannabis in Texas, know that you can face criminal offenses of varying degrees if caught by authorities.
  

  Check the legal status of cannabis in your home state here.

KNOW the potency of the product.

• Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is one of the psychoactive components of the cannabis plant. Generally speaking, the higher the THC potency in a cannabis product, the greater the impact on the person using which often can turn into an undesired effect such as paranoia, anxiousness, panic attacks, and in some cases – symptoms of psychosis.
• Concentrates (cannabis products containing a concentrated form of THC) such as waxes, edibles, dabs, tinctures, capsules, oils, and more vary greatly in THC potency amount.
• Using any unregulated substance is significantly risky. It is important to check product labels for dosing purposes. If it isn’t labeled, don’t use it.

KNOW that it is riskier to mix cannabis with other substances. 

• Mixing substances can result in dangerous and unexpected reactions in the body and brain.
• Depending on the substances and the amounts mixed, a person could experience paranoia, breathing difficulties, vomiting, increased heart rate, dehydration, heat stroke, blackouts, and other undesired outcomes.

KNOW how cannabis affects the brain and body.

• Cannabis alters the mood, metabolism, perception, memory, and movement, among other functions.
• Cannabis can exacerbate the underlying mood(s). If you choose to use cannabis, check in with your mood before using and consider not using at all if you feel anxious, depressed, angry, lonely, or other undesired emotions.
• Cannabis can amplify symptoms of paranoia, depression, panic, and anxiety. The higher the THC potency, the more this exacerbation is experienced.

KNOW your motivation for using cannabis.

• If you are choosing to use cannabis to try to connect with others, you may be surprised to know that most students on campus aren’t using it at all. The Spring 2022 TCU Core Alcohol and Drug Survey found that 81.3% of undergraduate students reported NOT using cannabis in the past 30 days.
• If you are choosing to use cannabis to try to manage stress, know that there are many useful relaxation techniques that may be more effective and that naturally release dopamine (pleasure) to your brain. Activities like yoga, guided imagery, meditation, and other mindfulness techniques have been proven to engage the relaxation response in the brain.

KNOW the risks of taking any drug not prescribed to you.

• Never share prescriptions with others. It is both dangerous and illegal. If caught by authorities, know that you can face criminal offenses of varying degrees.
• Even if a person has similar symptoms as yourself, it is unsafe to self-diagnose without the consultation of a trusted medical provider. Every person’s medical needs and treatment are unique.
• Never increase or decrease the dose of your medications without checking with your medical provider first.

KNOW to keep prescription drugs stored in a safe place and limit access to them by others.

• To decrease drug misuse, keep prescription drugs out of sight from the public.
• When at home, store prescriptions in a medication lock box and away from children.
• If you have expired or unused prescription medications, never flush them down a toilet, throw them away in the garbage, or give them to a friend. Instead, find a secure drug disposal box or takeback event. TCU participates in the DEA’s National Drug Take Back Day every April and October.

KNOW about the dangers of fentanyl any other dangerous counterfeit drugs.

• Buying or using any unknown, unlabeled, or unidentified drug is risky. These drugs may potentially be adulterated/laced an opioid like Fentanyl, or other harmful substances.
• Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It can be fatal to humans in as low of a dose as 2mg.
• Fentanyl overdoses and deaths have been and continue to increase across the country. Many of these overdoses are accidental.

KNOW how to get help for someone experiencing an overdose.

• Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids—including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications. There are two forms of naloxone that anyone can use without medical training or authorization: prefilled nasal spray and injectable.
• Any one can buy and carry Naloxone. Naloxone won’t harm someone if they’re overdosing on drugs other than opioids, so it’s always best to use it if you think someone is overdosing. Check out more information about opioid overdose prevention here.
• TCUPD and other select staff at TCU are equipped with nasal Naloxone, NARCAN. Even after Naloxone is administered, the person still needs medical attention.
• The Substance Use & Recovery Services (SURS) office offers Naloxone and Opioid Overdose Prevention trainings each fall and spring semester open to any TCU student, faculty, or staff.
• TCU has a Medical Amnesty/Good Samaritan Policy to encourage students to call for help when they are concerned about a fellow Horned Frog who may be experiencing an overdose of any substance.

KNOW that TCU is a smoke and tobacco-free campus.

• Cigars, cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snuff, e-cigarettes/vapes, and hookahs are smoking and tobacco products prohibited on campus.
• This policy applies to all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
• Learn more about this initiative.
  

KNOW that nicotine can be harmful to yourself and others.

• Nicotine acts as a stimulant. Stimulants increase alertness and energy.
• Smoking tobacco/nicotine products can produce second-hand smoke that can impact the respiratory health of non-smokers.
• Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. Addiction symptoms can include needing a higher quantity of nicotine to experience the same effects (tolerance), experiencing withdrawal when refraining from nicotine use, being unable to quit despite experiencing undesired outcomes, among others.
• If you have a desire to change your relationship with nicotine or any other substances, consider meeting with TCU Substance Use & Recovery Services to discuss your concerns (open to currently enrolled TCU students only).

KNOW the risks of using electronic-nicotine delivery systems.

• Nicotine is most commonly found in E-Cigarettes and vaping products (ENDS – electronic nicotine delivery systems).
• Smoking E-Cigarettes and vapes are associated with throat and lung injury such as tissue burns, inflammation, permanent damage to vocal cords and lung breath capacity.
• Besides nicotine, E-cigarettes commonly contain chemical flavorants, nickel, tin, lead, and E-Acetate which increase damage cause to respiratory system.

Access national tobacco cessation programs here.

KNOW the risks of cocaine use.

• Cocaine is a stimulant that can make the person using feel alert, energetic, and talkative, while rapidly increasing the heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature and also constricting the blood vessels.
• Cocaine is currently a schedule 2 drug and is federally illegal. Schedule 2 drugs are defined as having a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence.
• Know the dangers of mixing cocaine with alcohol specifically: The combination of these two substances forms a substance in the liver called coca-ethylene, in which the toxicity can be life-threatening.
• Possession and/or use of this substance violates the TCU campus Drug Use Policy.

KNOW the risks of LSD/Mushrooms.

• Mushrooms/Psilocybin and LSD are Schedule 1 Drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. They are classified as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
• These substances are hallucinogens and disrupt the communication between regions in the brain. As a result, the perception of time, space, self, and senses of the person using can be altered. The outcomes of use can often be unpredictable and vary person to person.
• Possession and/or use of this substance violates the TCU campus Drug Use Policy.

KNOW the risks of Molly/Ecstasy.

• MDMA (Molly) and Ecstasy are Schedule 1 Drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. They are classified as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
• These substances increase the activity of certain neurotransmitters in the brain – including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. The outcomes of use can often be unpredictable and vary person to person.
• Possession and/or use of this substance violates the TCU campus Drug Use Policy.