Substance Use & Harm Reduction Education (SUHR)

We are committed to ensuring the UMD community has the knowledge, tools, and skills to intervene in a potential opioid overdose situation.

Visit one of our Risk Reduction Resource Tables to access Naloxone (Narcan), Fentanyl Test Strips, Xylazine Test Strips, and more for FREE!

For a more in-depth education about opioid overdose response, consider taking one of our Overdose Response Trainings (ORT) at the UHC! These one-hour training sessions cover the signs of an overdose, what to do in an emergency situation, information about laws and policies which protect you and the person you are assisting, and resources to support yourself in the aftermath. These trainings are open to the entire UMD community. 
 

Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.  If fewer than 5 people register for a training session, it will be up to the discretion of the training facilitator whether to hold the training or to cancel due to low enrollment. In the case of training cancellation, our team will reach out to any registrants with information on how to register for a future training. 

• Individual community members interested in attending a training can register for an upcoming session by filling out our ORT Registration form on UMD Qualtrics. 
• UMD departments and student organizations can also request an individualized ORT. Interested organizations can request a training by filling out our Program Request form on UMD Qualtrics. 

Please arrive on time for the start of the training session - anyone who arrives more than 10 minutes late to the training will not be admitted into the training room.  Participants must stay for the entire duration of the training to receive resources, including Naloxone and test strips, and will be required to fill out a Qualtrics form prior to receiving those resources in hand.

The T-Break Guide is a 21-day workbook to support you through a cannabis tolerance break. With a different topic covered each day, the T-Break Guide highlights tips and tricks to navigate life without cannabis during your T-Break, including sleep, eating, stress, creativity, and more.  Click below to learn more about this resource or download it for yourself.

For students who self-identify as being in recovery from substance use, our collegiate recovery program is growing, and we want you to be part of it!

Grab some free food and meet new friends in a low-key environment at one of our monthly Recovery Brunches, which occur on the first Friday of each month in Room 1150 of the Health Center.

Looking to be more involved?  Join Terps for Recovery, a student-led organization which aims to connect students in recovery, plan fun social events, and raise awareness about collegiate recovery at UMD! To learn more, please click email the Terps for Recovery staff advisor, Demi Morris (gmorris@umd.edu)

Student organizations and departments may also request to receive a Naloxone Safety Kit. A Naloxone Safety Kit is a clear polycarbonate wall mount that securely stores naloxone to be used in case of emergency. 

Our team is able to provide a free Naloxone Safety Kit to UMD community organizations. To request a Naloxone Safety Kit, please fill out our Program Request form on UMD Qualtrics.

Learn how to be an ally to people in recovery with our new training - Shells of Support! This training provides information on the intersections of substance use, mental health, and recovery. Participants will explore and unpack stigma, learn about substance use resources at UMD, and define their role as a Recovery Ally.

Individual community members interested in attending a training can register for an upcoming session by filling out our RAT Registration form on UMD Qualtrics. 

• The Substance Use and Harm Reduction (SUHR) Team are the primary campus experts on substance use and harm reduction education, and we care deeply about ensuring our students are able to access evidence-based, stigma-free, and culturally-informed substance use and harm reduction information.

Every semester, all incoming first-year and transfer students to the university are required to complete the “You-MD: Substance Use Prevention Training for Incoming First Year and Transfer Students”. This training is designed to equip incoming students with education and resources to make healthy and informed decisions regarding their substance use. It is comprised of five distinct modules that educate incoming students on alcohol, cannabis, and opioids. Learning outcomes for the required training are broken down module by module. The first two modules highlight the physiological, neurological, and academic impacts of substance use. Module three introduces relevant substance use policies. Lastly, modules four and five encourage help-seeking behavior and build familiarity with campus resources. The training is also available to community members through the Open Learning platform.

In addition to scheduled Overdose Response and Recovery Ally training, our educational programs are available to UMD departments and student organizations by request. To learn more or request a program, please email uhc-support@umd.edu, or complete our Program Request form on UMD Qualtrics. 

Harm Reduction Consultations are available to students who are looking for strategies to reduce the harms associated with their substance use behaviors. Before visiting with our Substance Use and Harm Reduction (SUHR) Coordinator for a Harm Reduction Consultation, you may find it helpful to check out eCheckup to Go, a brief, anonymous, and interactive tool that allows you to examine your own personal use of alcohol or cannabis in comparison with other students, both at the University of Maryland and nationwide. This is not a requirement to meet with the SUHR Coordinator, but rather a resource for you to access whenever you want to. 

If you are experiencing significant distress, please schedule an appointment with a trained substance use counselor in our Substance Use Intervention & Treatment Unit. Please note that if our SUHR Coordinator determines your substance use to be causing significant harm to your wellness during your Harm Reduction Consultation, you will be referred to the SUIT unit for additional substance use counseling support.

Of note, eCheckup to Go is sometimes required for other types of appointments in the Health Center, like appointments required as a result of Office of Student Conduct sanctions, but any eCheckup to Go requirements will be communicated to you clearly prior to those types of appointments.

If you are experiencing a crisis or a mental health emergency during regular business hours, please visit the University Health Center or Counseling Center.

If you are interested in connecting with a member of our team to discuss harm reduction at UMD, please contact dylanpre@umd.edu. 

Before you start drinking, make sure to enjoy a meal high in protein (i.e. cheeses, meats, black beans, peanuts, etc.). Having protein-rich food in your system before you start drinking will help to slow the absorption of alcohol, which helps control your blood alcohol levels.

If you decide to drink, there are many ways to pace yourself and make sure you have fun all night long! make sure to measure the amount of alcohol you put in the drink. Avoid taking drinks from someone you don’t know or from communal bowls as you may not be able to accurately measure the amount of alcohol in the drink. Have a system for keeping track of the number of drinks you consume.

We are living through challenging times that impact the ways in which we socialize with our friends.  While many students may not be going to large parties this semester, it is still important to Leave No Terp Behind.  At the University of Maryland, we believe in supporting one another, whether that is making sure a friend returns home safety after visiting a bar on Route 1, calling for emergency assistance if you see someone in showing signs of alcohol poisoning, or sharing concerns you have about a friend’s substance use, it is critical that every Terp knows that their community has their back.

At the end of the day, the only way to eliminate risks associated with drinking alcohol is to simply choose not to drink alcohol in the first place!  Whether you make that choice for yourself for one night, one semester, or your entire college career, know that you are in good company - 1 in 4 Terps choose not to drink at all during their time at UMD.  That said, if you do choose to drink, make sure you have a night to remember, not a night to forget! Alcohol poisoning occurs when a large amount of alcohol is consumed; typically over a short period of time. Drink responsibly by avoiding activities that encourage consuming large amounts of alcohol (i.e. chugging, drinking games, etc.) and alternating alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic beverages.