EIU Illinois Higher Education Center

Illinois Higher Education Center's

Harm Reduction Campaign

Objectives of the Campaign:

• Understanding how high intensity drinking impedes academic success 
• Identify the correlations and effects of substance use on college students' mental health 
• Identify the risk factors and symptoms of high intensity drinking
• Understand the physical impacts of substance use on a college students' health and wellbeing

Topics Covered in the Campaign:

• Academic success & implications of substance use
• Substance use and the impacts on a college student's mental health
• High intensity drinking and the related effects among college students
• Physical impacts of substance use

How the Campaign was Developed:

• Research of current trends, impacts of substance use on students' academic success & health
• Supported through IDHS with additional grant funding for a harm reduction expansion
• Pilot testing of marketing materials
• Multiple reviews of developed content & revision post pilot testing
• Recruitment of Schools for printed materials & distribution

Campaign Templates

• Effect of Alcohol
  
• Don't Believe Everything You Drink
• Vapes & E-Liquid
• Impacts of Cannabis Use
• Alcohol's Effect on the Brain
• Stay Present, Stay Safe
• Alcohol & Caffeine: The Risks of Mixing
• Alcohol & Academic Success

Instructions for Templates & Posting

IHEC staff is pleased to provide you with this toolkit on substance use harm reduction for college students aged 18-25. Within this toolkit, professionals will find resources for higher education, primarily focusing on the topics of alcohol and binge drinking, also known as high intensity drinking, cannabis use and opioid use. For printed materials within this toolkit, there will be a series of content for each topic, broken down by the type of printed materials. Each series will include a flyer, poster, set of social media posts, and resources to put on your department or colleges websites. We ask that individuals using the toolkit for social media not alter the templates' content but feel free to add their school logo. Additionally, we encourage schools to distribute the materials through various areas on their campuses including residence halls, academic buildings, dining centers, and student centers. Here are a few guidelines when using this content:

1. Information in this toolkit should be maintained to ensure fidelity to the content.
2. Schools are welcome to add their logos to the social media posts or templates.
3. IHEC logos need to stay on the on the materials.
4. Any information used must be kept within the materials, not added to additional content.
5. Printed materials may be printed at your discretion and the preferred sizing; however, we have provided recommended sizing for each template.

Recommendations for distributing:

1. Print materials large enough for people to view across the hall- you want the content to be visible!
2. Post in numerous places- this content will not help reduce harmful behaviors if not marketed and shared.
3. Consider collaborating with other departments on your campus to provide training or follow-up education on these topics.
4. Email, social media, and websites are useful tools for reaching larger crowds.

Resources 

Presentations:

Anderson- Leadership & Strategic Planning

Damask- Communication Toolbox

Communication Toolbox Placemat

Articles for Reading:

Qualitative Examination of College Students' Perceptions of Cannabis

Online Resources: