Northwood encourages faculty, staff, and students with alcohol or other drug dependency problems to contact community counseling centers for assistance. Confidential substance abuse counseling may be arranged by contacting the Human Resource Director, the Vice President of Finance, or the campus Provost, and the Dean of Students through the Student Services Department. Students in the University College program should contact the Associate Dean of Administration.

Below are links to of some drug and alcohol prevention, counseling, treatment and rehabilitation programs. Additional programs may be listed in the telephone directories under the heading “Drug Abuse and Addiction Information & Treatment” or “Alcoholism Information and Treatment Centers.”

Who is at Risk?

The key to preventing and treating drug/alcohol abuse is to treat the underlying reason for use. Factors putting people at higher risk for drug/alcohol:

• Family history of alcoholism or drug abuse
• Favorable attitudes toward use
• Friends who use drugs
• Low self-esteem & self-worth
• Academic or work related failures
• Weak intra & interpersonal skills
• Inadequate bonding
• Incest, sexual abuse victim
• Inadequate coping skills
• Stress
• Depression

Please take a look at this self-test to help you review the role alcohol plays in your life.

Education and training is important in learning to help ourselves and others. Components of this education include:

• Early detection: Understanding signs and symptoms of drug/alcohol abuse
• Intervention: Approaching someone you think has a problem
• Referral: Knowing where to get help or where to send someone for help

Health Risks of Substance/Alcohol Abuse

Drug use can start out as experimentation or casual use and can progress into problem use or addiction. Long term research has proven that the abuse of alcohol and other drugs can erode the foundation of the College's goals/objectives and diminish the personal attainment or intellectual, social, physical, and moral growth and development.

Specific Risk
The following provides some specific risks incurred with the use of particular common drugs or substances.

• Alcohol (Beer, wine, liquor, distilled spirits)
  Brain damage, addiction, liver damage, neuralgic damage
• Caffeine
  May aggravate health problems
• Hallucinogens (LSD, Mescaline, PCP, Magic Mushrooms, Peyote)
  Panic reactions, psychotic behavior, may intensify existing psychosis, violent acts
• Inhalants (Solvents, glue, whiteout, solvent impurities)
  Impaired perceptions, judgements, and coordination: toxicity
• Marijuana (Pot, grass, hash, Thai sticks)
  Bronchitis, brain damage, lethargy, conjunctivitis, possible birth defects 
• Nicotine (Cigarettes, snuff, chewing/pipe tobacco, cigars)
  Loss of appetite, lung cancer, addiction
• Opiates (Narcotics) (Heroine, Morphine, Codeine, Paregoric)
  Addiction, impaired, perception, judgement, and coordination; brain damage, depression, withdrawal
• Barbiturates (sedative) (Phenobarbital, pentobarbital, secobarbital amorbarbital)
  Severe withdrawal symptoms, depression, convulsions, addiction
• Anabolic Steroid (Steroids)
  Acne, cancer, liver disease, heart disease, fetal damage, shrunken testicles, baldness, aggressive combative behavior
• Stimulants (Speed, diet pills, uppers, cocaine, ice, crack)
  Loss of appetite, delusions, heart damage, hallucinogens, withdrawal, convulsions, nasal deterioration