Alcohol: Am I using it, or is it using me?
- Do you drink to make yourself feel better if you're having a hard time at work or at home?
- Has your drinking increased in the last two years, year, six months?
- Are you annoyed or defensive if anyone mentions your drinking?
- Have you ever tried to linit your drinking by drinking only at a certain time of day or on certain days of the week?
- Do you start drinking sooner, and stop drinking later, than most of your friends?
- Have you had a morning drink in the past year?
- Has your drinking ever caused you problems at home or at work?
- Do you ever feel guilty or regretful about how your've behaved when your're drinking?
- Have you ever had a memory lapse after an evening of drinking?
- Do you secretly worry that drinking is damaging your life?
If you answered "yes" to two or more questions, there is a good chance that you may be heading for a dangerous drinking problem-if you don't already have one. Only you know the truth about your own drinking.
Are you experiencing co-dependency (a family illness)?
- Do you lose sleep because of a problem user?
- Does your attitude change toward the problem user (alternating between love and hate)?
- Do you mark, hide, dilute and/or empty bottles of liquor or other substances?
- Do you think that everything would be OK if only the problem user would stop or control the use?
- Do you feel alone, fearful, anxious angry and frustrated most of the time?
- Are you beginnning to dislike yourself and wonder about your sanity?
- Do you feel responsible and guilty about the chemical problem?
- Have you taken over many chores and duties that you would normally expect the problem user to assume or that were formerly his or hers?
- Do you feel utterly defeated, that nothing you can say or do will influence the problem user?
- Do you believe that he or she cannot get better?
If you answered "yes" to any three of these questions, chemical dependency exists in the family and is producing negative changes in you.
HEALTH RISKS OF ALCOHOL & OTHER DRUGS
Alcohol is the most abused drug in society as well as on college campuses. Alcohol is directly involved in many injuries, assaults, and the majority of deaths in people under age 25. Other commonly abused ilegal drugs include marijuana, cocaine, stimulants, hallucinogens, depressants, narcotics, steroids and inhalants. Legal drugs such as caffeine, nicotine, over-the-counter and prescription drugs aslo have wide use and associated risks.
Health risks of using alcohol or other drugs include both physical and psychological effects. The health consequences depend on the frequency, duration and intesity of use. For all drugs, there is a risk of overdose. Overdose can result in coma, convulsions, psychosis or death. In addition, combinations of certain drugs, such as alcohol and barbitruates, can be lethal. Finally, the purity and strength of doses of illegal drugs are uncertain.
Continued use of substances can lead to tolerance (requiring more and more of a drug to get the same effect), dependence (physical or psychological need) or withdrawl (painful, difficult and dangerous symptoms when stopping the use of drugs). Long-term chronic use of drugs can lead to malnutrition, organic damage to the body, and psychological problems. The risk of AIDS and other diseases increases if drugs are injected. The consumption of alcohol or drugs by pregnant women may cause abnormalities, such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (the thrid leading cause of birth defects) in babies.
DRUG & ALCOHOL-RELATED COLLEGE POLICY
Because the unlawful use of drugs and alcohol by students, faculty, administrators and staff adversely affects the academic environmnent, Terra Community College prohibits the distribution, use and sale of substances which impair the learning process.
All Terra Community College Students must abide by this statement:
The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in or at Terra Community College.
If a student engages in any of the above prohibited activities, that student will be subject to disciplinary action. This action will include the filing of criminal charges and may include dismissal from the college. Terra Community College reserves the right to warn, reprimand, suspend or dismiss any student or employee who violates the college conduct and discipline policy or the law. The college's response will depend on the severity of the offense, number of previous offenses and extenuating circumstances. For students, all college judicial and appeals procedures will be followed except in rare cases when the possibility of imminent danger exists. For employees, due process will be followed.
If a student is convicted of a criminal drug violation, the student must notify the college. Law requires the college, within 30 days of such notification, to:
- Take appropriate action against such student, up to and including dismissal; or
- Require such student to participate satisfactorily in drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program appreoved for such purpose by a federal, state or local health, law enforcement or other appropriate agency.
DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM
Terra Community College provides referral counseling and conducts a drug abuse prevention program for all students and employees. Community resources for counseling and treatment of drug abuse problems are updated annually and liaison contacts maintained throughout the year. Periodic on-campus educational and information workshops are conducted for students, staff and the community. By resolution of the Board of Trustees (May 23, 1989), Terra Community College supports the intent of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL-RELATED STATE & FEDERAL LAWS
Ohio law prohibits illicit selling, cultivating, manufacturning or otherwise trafficking in controlled substances, including cocaine, heroin, amphetamines and marijuana; knowingly or recklessly furnishing them to a minor; and administering them to any person by force, threat or deception with the intent to cause serious harm or if serious harm results. These offenses are felonies. The law also prohibits knowingly obtaining, possessing or using a controlled substance and permitting drug abuse on one's premises or in one's vehicle. These offenses may be either felonies or misdemeanors. The law further prohibits obtaining, possessiung or using hypodermics for unlawful administration of drugs, and the sale to juveniles of paraphernalia for use with marijuana. These offenses are misdemeanors. A felony conviction may lead to imprisonment or imprisonment and fine. The maximum prison term is 25 years. A misdemeanor conviction may lead to imprisonment for up to six months and/or a fine of up to $1000.00.
With regard to beer and intoxicating liquor, Ohio law provides that a person under 21 years of age who orders, pays for, attempts to purchase, possesses or consumes beer or liquor or furnishes false information in order to effect a purchase commits a misdemeanor. Ohio law prohibits the possession of beer or liquor which was not lawfully purchased, and a court may order that any place where beer or liquor is unlawfully sold not be occupied for one year, or that the owner or occupant of the premises be required to furnish a surety bond of $1,000 to $5,000.
Federal law forbids the illegal possession of, or any trafficking in, controlled substances. A person convicted for the first time of possessing a controlled substance, other than crack cocaine, may be sentenced to up to one year in prison and fined between $1,000 and $100,000. A second conviction carries a prison term of up to two years and a fine of up to $250,000. Subsequent convictions carry prison tersm of up to three years and fines of up to $250,000. Imprisonment for five to 20 years and fines of up to $250,000 apply to persons possessing more than five grams of crack cocaine on the first conviction, three grams on the second and one gram on subsequent convictions. In addition, a person convicted of possessing a controlled substance may be punished by forfeiture of perperty used to possess or facilitate possession if the offense is punishable by more that one year in prison; forfeiture of any conveyance used to tranport or conceal a controlled substance; denial of federal benefits, such as student loans, for up to five years; ineligibility to receive or purchase a firearm; and a civil penalty of up to $10,000.
