College time is a risky time for young adults

To address overdose deaths, multiple organizations across Athens County and Ohio University have implemented free Narcan distribution and training programs since 2023, including overdose response training sessions and no-barrier access to free Narcan kits through campus cabinets, health departments, and community organizations partnered with Ohio's Project DAWN network. The programs have helped distribute hundreds of Narcan boxes and to normalize overdose response training and reduce stigma around addiction.

States and localities are moving beyond traditional uses of geographic information systems, also known as GIS, and into a wide array of smart, dynamic uses of the burgeoning technology. In Cincinatti, city analysts examined fire department and EMS call data to optimize emergency vehicle allocation. And in Oakland County, Michigan, officials are using GIS mapping to present complex data around treatment centers and drug disposal areas in an accessible way for all parties involved.

Some universities are helping students stay sober. Institutions like Rutgers, Texas Tech, and University of Michigan offer counseling, support groups, and even recovery houses. Research shows these programs are overwhelmingly successful. “They have low relapse rates, higher GPAs than average, and are more likely to stay in college and graduate. In fact, they reported up to 95 percent of participating students are able to sustain their sobriety while attending school.”

Collegiate recovery programs provide on-campus sober living, 12-step meetings, therapy, and support groups to college students in recovery. These programs help to eliminate the stigma surrounding addiction and give students the support they need to remain sober in an environment where sobriety isn't the social norm.

Tuttleman Counseling Services and the Merakey Mental Health Walk-In Clinic at Temple University offer a variety of mental health services for students on campus, from counseling to yoga and substance use support, serving 30,000 students across the campus.

Students in Nigeria are participating in trainings around solutions journalism, a framework for reporting on responses to social problems. Journalists who have adopted the method say it has given them renewed passion for the profession and helped build trust with their audiences.

A student-developed course at the University of California-Berkeley, Solutions for a Sustainable and Just Future, focuses on both individual and systemic strategies to address the climate crisis. More than 1,800 people have taken the class, and more than 70 percent of them said the course content inspired them to get involved in environmental work.

Collegiate recovery programs or communities — like the Center for Collegiate Recovery Communities in Texas — are robust resources for students struggling to overcome substance use issues, whether they’re in long-term recovery or new to the process. Some offer scholarships for students in recovery, dedicated staff and counselors, and sober social activities.

Louisiana was the first among a growing number of states requiring high school students to fill out the Free Application for Student Assistance, or FAFSA, in order to receive their diploma. Applications there increased by 26 percent in the first year of implementation, and experts say students who are aware of what financial resources are available are more likely to pursue higher education.

Since introducing both the decriminalization of a range of substances like heroin and cocaine and new harm-reduction strategies in 2001, Portugal has seen success in driving down HIV cases, overdoses, and needle sharing. The country attributes their progress to treating the issue of drug use as a human rights issue rather than a criminal one, because they consider external factors that contribute to addiction like gender, class, or race.