Alcohol and Drug End of Year Report & Drug Free Schools and Communities Act Report: August 2023
Stanford Alcohol and Drug Program
Vision
A Stanford community that fosters inclusion by promoting a safe, lively, and responsible social living and learning environment, taking into account the diverse population of students and varying levels of student development.
Mission
Mitigate high-risk alcohol and other drug usage and their related harms among Stanford students by utilizing health promotion principles through collaborative, cutting-edge, empirically-proven educational strategies and programs.
Objectives
- Deliver impactful alcohol and drug education and risk reduction program across campus.
- Consult, advise and offer resources to campus partners on substance use issues.
- Create outlets and space for students that deemphasize substance abuse and promote resilience and recovery.
- Shift campus culture away from binge drinking and drug use.
- Collect data to assess trends and evaluate needs on an ongoing basis.
- Empower students to build a campus culture encompassing safety, flourishing and wellness.
SUPER Is a Comprehensive Office That Manages
- 5-SURE Safe Rides Program
- 5-SURE on Foot Safe Walks Bystander Intervention Program
- Party Planning Education and Training•Cardinal Recovery Program
- Well House Substance-Free Programming
- Parent Education and Outreach
- Peer Health Education (PEERs Program)
- Education and Outreach Services
- 1:1 sessions•High-risk group education
- Trainings and workshops
- Online education
Policies and AOD Efforts
Comprehensive information on policies and AOD efforts is sent to all Stanford students, faculty, staff and affiliates via the Stanford Department of Public Safety Annual Safety, Security, and Fire Report.
The Reports Contain
- AOD program vision, mission and goals
- Outline of AOD programs and outreach services
- Program evaluation data
- Program usage and impact figures
- Trends and high-risk concerns tracking
- Health effects of alcohol and drugs
Alcohol & Drugs Effects
| Drug Type | Examples | Effects | Risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | Beer, Wine, Hard Liquor | Depressant - Slowed central nervous system functioning, impairments in reaction time, judgment, coordination and memory. |
|
| Cannabis | Marijuana Products: Joints, Blunts, Edibles, Tinctures, Wax, etc | Distored sense of time, space, perceptions, and sensations. |
|
| Stimulants | Cocain, Methaamphetamine, Nicotine | Increased central nervous system functioning, elevated heart rate, hyperactivity, agitation, exhaustion, anxiety, and depression. |
|
| Hallucinogens | LSD, Acid, Mushrooms | Distorted sense of reality, time, space, perceptions and sensations. |
|
| Prescription Drugs | Pain Medications, Stimulant Medications | Over exaggerated effect of the medications. Feelings of euphoria. impairments in reaction time, judgement, coordination, and memory. |
|
Alcohol & Drugs Effects & Resources
- Alcohol & Drug Info - A comprehensive catalog of alcohol and drug effects, information and safety concerns.
- On-Campus & Off-Campus Resources - Find information for students, for parents / guardians / families, for staff / faculty members of the Stanford community, and more.
Framing the Issue
- Stanford continues to address the concerning issues of binge drinking and drug use in a proactive and expansive manner with dedicated programs, education and resources. The university approach includes prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery services.
- For alcohol, the university is most concerned with mitigating binge drinking and its related consequences such as blackouts, hangovers, and regretted actions.
- Considerable attention and education has been placed on drug education including fentanyl and prescription drugs - including campuswide naloxone trainings/distribution and harm reduction programs and services.
- The university has put recommendations from the 2019 Alcohol Solutions Group (ASG) report into action in various areas with new programs and initiatives.
- Surveys on alcohol and drug use behaviors and attitudes are conducted regularly with undergraduate students and the 2019 and 2022 data is publicly available here.
Progress & Initiatives
- The Office of Substance Use Programs, Education & Resources (SUPER), which is staffed by six full-time professionals, is doing increased education, substance-free events and direct service programming. The office also employs about 70 student workers across its various prevention programs. This year SUPER employed 20 student peer health educators to conduct alcohol and drug education outreach programs.
- An Alcohol and Drug Advisory Group managed the implementation of the ASG recommendations. The group has implemented nearly 20 active alcohol and drug projects.
- A revised Student Alcohol and Other Drug policy was launched on September 1, 2022 and includes a detailed implementation process, protections for Good Samaritans, and a sexual violence provision.
- Stanford offers a substance-free and wellness living option for upper-class students in a house called The Well House. Demand is high for spots and the house residential community and culture is positive and inspiring.
- SUPER manages the 5-SURE Safe Rides program and service hours were expanded this year as a pilot.
- SUPER continues to manage the widely utilized 5-SURE on Foot program, which offers safe walks home and in-the-moment check-in on weekend nights in high-traffic party areas of campus.
- A collegiate recovery program called Cardinal Recovery was launched and is providing support and services to students in addiction and recovery. Recovery meetings, sober events and support services anchor the program.
- Over 95 percent of first-year students completed online alcohol, drug education the summer before they matriculated.
- SUPER is proactively training on and distributing Narcan and fentanyl test strips.
Substance Use Policies & Processes
Student Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy
Launched: September 1, 2021
- Contains a Good Samaritan provision
- Expands policy on other drugs
- Articulates sexual violence reporting and exemption from disciplinary action
- Outlines process for implementation and consequences
Stanford Group Accountability Process
Launched: January 2022
- Defines collective responsibility for groups
- Outlines due process and levels of review
- Expands jurisdiction to residences
Substance Use Programs & Services Impact Reports and Data
5-SURE Safe Rides Program
The 5-SURE Safe Rides program maintained a fleet of 5 vehicles and continued to see strong ridership numbers. Student staff continued to offer safe rides 7 nights a week, 9:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. (Service ran 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. winter and spring of 2023 as a pilot). Ninety-five percent of passengers are female and ridership continued to be heaviest Wednesday to Saturday nights on campus.
| Academic Year | 2016 - 2017 | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | ^2021-2022 | **2022-2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Calls | 5,331 | 7,649 | 7,774 | 4,491 (no spring) | 2,637 | 9,132 |
| Total Completed Calls | 4,664 | 6,847 | 6,987 | 4,020 (no spring) | 2,361 | 8,064 |
Total Passengers: (non-unique) | 7,289 | 10,496 | 10,161 | 5,770 (no spring) | 3,456 | 11,815 |
5-SURE Safe Rides numbers are taken from call logs, online reservations and driver reports.
* Service did not run 2020 -2021 academic year due to COVID-19.
^ 2021-2022 impacted by several weeks of limited activity periods due to COVID-19.
** Service operated 5pm-2am for winter and spring quarters as a pilot.
5-SURE on Foot Bystander Intervention Program
The 5-SURE on Foot Bystander Intervention program student workers offered safe walks, snacks and water in high-traffic party areas every weekend during the academic year. Program evaluation results show strong support and positive community impacts related to safety, trust and student well-being. Utilization numbers continue to show strong participation and the program remains very popular among students.
| Academic Year | 2026-17 | 2017-18 | 2019-2020 | 2021-22 * | 2022-23 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Contacts | 16,023 | 21,502 | 20,429 | 14, 162 (no spring) | 20,641 | 33,957 |
| Total Walks Home (non-unique) | 72 | 169 | 160 | 50 (no spring) | 93 | 85 |
5-SURE on Foot numbers are taken from student staff nightly reports, snacks/water distributed and head counts. * Service shifted to COVID-19 health advocates in 2020 -2021 academic year handing out masks.
Education & Outreach Programs
The education and outreach services provided by the Office of Substance Use Programs, Education & Resources (SUPER) continue to be widespread and extensive, targeting a broad range of individual students and student groups (Greeks, student-athletes, first-year students, graduate students, resident assistants, etc.).
Education & Outreach Programs Highlights From This Past Year
- Over 3000 students were educated and trained on alcohol and drug issues via online and in person sessions.
- Worked closely with Institutional Research & Decision Support to analyse and disseminate results from bi-annual Alcohol and Other Drug Undergraduate survey.
- Hosted Fentanyl Awareness Day activities to educate and offer naloxone training and distribution to 100 attendees. Trained an additional 400 students on naloxone throughout the year.
- Met individually with 158 students for alcohol and drug educational sessions conducted by SUPER staff. Worked with the Dean of Students Office to provide expertise in case management of Student Alcohol & Drug Policy violations.
PEERs Health Educators
The PEER health educator program is a group of 16 highly trained student health educators who take a holistic and preventative approach to a variety of public health topics – areas of expertise include substance use, sexual citizenship, mental health and the intersections between them. The program launched this year at Stanford.
PEERs Health Educators Highlights From This Past Year
- PEERs offered 45 educational workshops and outreach events across campus on a variety of health and well-being subjects and reached a total of 10,853 contacts.
- All of the PEERs were trained on naloxone administration and trained over 400 other students across campus. PEERs participated in National Fentanyl Awareness Day in May 2023 to educate and provide naloxone.
ChemX / SUPER Partnership
ChemX is a student-led initiative addressing the fentanyl epidemic among young adults and college students, aiming to keep friends alive by promoting drug safety and testing. ChemX provides innovative and proactive fentanyl test kits in a community-first approach, coupled with harm-reduction education and a larger architecture centered around creating a supporting community of risk-educated drug safety champions.
- This past year SUPER partnered with the student-led initiative to bring fentanyl testing strips and Narcan to a larger swath of the Stanford community via harm reduction shelves in residences on campus in an anonymous and inclusive manner.
- Over 500 ChemX harm reduction packets were distributed.
- Feedback was positive and well received by the student body.
The Well-House Substance-Free Social Program
The substance-free and wellness themed Well House provides a space for students to live in a shared, intentional substance-free community. An environment based upon holistic approaches to physical, mental, and emotional health, the house served as a safe space for students in recovery and fostering allies.
More About The Well-House Substance-Free Social Program
- The house offered over 70 substance-free events for residents and other students during the year providing a safe and substance-free space for thousands of attendees (non-unique).
- Demand was high for applications to live in the house with more applications submitted than spaces available in the house.
- Residents reported high levels of satisfaction, increased levels of connection and reduced stress levels.
Cardinal Recovery
Cardinal Recovery is Stanford’s collegiate recovery program for students in substance and other behavioral/process addictions. It provides support, community, sober events and resources across campus.
More About Cardinal Recovery
- Cardinal Recovery built a community of nearly 400 who get weekly communications about meetings, support, sober events and resources. •Weekly recovery meetings are offered three times a week across campus with some offered at the Well House.
- Quarterly sober events are offered to provide safe and intentional space for the community to connect and bond – many occur in conjunction with the Well House.
- Cardinal Recovery partnered with other Bay Area collegiate recovery programs to host events and outing for students to connect.
- The 2nd Annual Addiction Science Keynote sponsored by Cardinal Recovery was held in May with Dr. Keith Humphreys as the featured speaker. The title of the talk was “The Science Behind Alcoholics Anonymous.”
Office of Substance Use Programs Education & Resources (SUPER)
We provide research-based alcohol and drug prevention and early intervention programs, education and resources for the Stanford community via peer educators and professional staff. Our goal is to mitigate high-risk alcohol and other drug usage and their related harms among Stanford students by utilizing health promotion principles through collaborative, cutting-edge, empirically-proven educational strategies and programs.
Stanford Party Registration and Approval Figures 2022-2023
Stanford Parties Historical Data
- Total Parties AY 2022-23: 504
- Total Parties AY 2021-22: 613 ^
- Total Parties AY 2020-21: No registered parties held due to COVID-19 pandemic
- Total Parties AY 2019-20: 624 *
- Total parties AY 2018–19: 975
- Total parties AY 2017–18: 831
- Total parties AY 2016–17: 811
- Total parties AY 2015–16: 695
- Total parties AY 2014–15: 876
^This academic year includes six weeks of restricted gathering periods (two weeks at the beginning of each quarter) where no parties were held. Also includes seven Greek organizations being placed on party suspension beginning on April 29, 2022.
*At the end of Winter Quarter 2020 policies around COVID-19 began to take effect. Some parties at that time were cancelled by the hosts or denied by the administration, along with input from Environmental Health & Safety and Santa Clara County public health guidance. Additionally, due to COVID-19 there were no parties in Spring quarter 2020.
Stanford Parties 2022-2023
| Members-Only Parties | 105 |
|---|---|
| Invite-Only Parties | 151 |
| All-Campus Parties | 50 |
| Party Type Unspecified | 198 |
| Total Registered Parties | 504 |
Additional Information About Stanford Parties 2022-2023
| Organization | Fall | Spring | Winter | Grand Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSL | 59 | 61 | 56 | 176 |
| GSB | 23 | 28 | 18 | 69 |
| ResEd | 41 | 25 | 26 | 92 |
| VSO | 57 | 51 | 59 | 167 |
Grand Total | 180 | 165 | 159 | 504 |
FSL: Fraternity & Sorority Life Chapters
GSB: Graduate School of Business Organizations
ReResEd: Residential Education Houses
VSO: Voluntary Student Organizations
Type
Host
Quarter
Day of the Week
Student Alcohol and Drug Cases 2013 - 2023
Academic Year Alcohol Emergency Transport Totals
Full Academic Year Four Year Average = 59.50
- 2012-13: 54
- 2013-14: 61
- 2014-15: 60
- 2015-16: 49
- 2016-17: 39
- 2017-18: 65
- 2018-19: 58
- 2019-20: 37 ^
- 2020-21: 0 *
- 2021-22: 64
- 2022-23: 51
^ = COVID-19 Campus Closure in March 2020 (no spring quarter)
* = COVID-19 Campus Closure (remote and no gatherings)
Stanford Case Management Tracking
Academic Year Alcohol Medical Non-Transport Totals
Full Academic Year Four Year Average = 37.75
- 2012-13: 16
- 2013-14: 16
- 2014-15: 11
- 2015-16: 11
- 2016-17: 13
- 2017-18: 27
- 2018-19: 29
- 2019-20: 29 ^
- 2020-21: 0 *
- 2021-22: 36
- 2022-23: 59
^ = COVID-19 Campus Closure in March 2020 (no spring quarter)
* = COVID-19 Campus Closure (remote and no gatherings)
Stanford Case Management Tracking
Stanford Alcohol & Drug Cases By Category: 2022-23 Academic Year
| Case Type | N |
|---|---|
| Alcohol - *other | 5 |
| Alcohol - over-intoxication (not transported) | 59 |
| Alcohol - serving/providing to those under 21 | 5 |
| Alcohol - Transported for over-intoxication | 51 |
| Alcohol - underage consumption | 21 |
| Alcohol - underage possession | 3 |
| Cannabis - consumption | 26 |
| Cannabis - other | 0 |
| Cannabis - possession | 1 |
| Cannabis - over-intoxication | 4 |
| Controlled substances - consumption | 8 |
| Controlled substances - other | 1 |
| Controlled substances - over-intoxication | 1 |
| Total Cases | 185 |
*Includes cases such as injuries, falls and mental health concerns
