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For many college students, Halloween weekend is a time to party and have fun with their friends. It’s important to know that heightened emotions, especially around holidays, can cause people to take more risks while drinking or using other substances. Having a conversation with your student in advance allows you to get them thinking about their plans and provide strategies that can help keep them and their friends safe.

Here are some tips to help your student stay safe over Halloween and Homecoming weekend.

Start the conversation with open-ended questions

One way to start a conversation with your student is to ask them what their plans are for Halloween and Homecoming.

Here are some questions you can ask to start the conversation with your student:

• What are your plans for Halloween this year?
• Do you have any plans for Homecoming?
• Who do you think you’ll celebrate with?
• What do you think you’ll dress up as?
• What kinds of traditions or events are happening on campus this year?
• How might alcohol or other drugs be part of your Halloween plans?

These types of questions will help give you an idea of what your student has planned for the holiday weekend. If you’re concerned, consider asking follow-up questions such as how they plan to get home from parties and events or if they have any back-up plans. 

Navigating alcohol and other substances

In college, it may feel like alcohol is everywhere, whether your student is at a party or simply enjoying a night out with friends. 

If your student reports that they will or might use substances, review the following strategies with them to help them plan a safe and fun night out. If your student doesn’t plan to use substances, it’s also valuable to help them explore how they might be able to help their friends. Approaching the topic of substance use through a non-judgmental conversation with your student can help when it comes to the choices they make and knowing when to seek help for themselves or others.

Check out this free handbook for information, tips and resources to help you have an effective conversation about alcohol and other drugs with your student.

Discuss limits

Your student’s tolerance for alcohol or other substances may look different from those around them. Encourage them to set a limit before they go out, and consider enlisting a friend to help them stay accountable. Remind them that it’s also okay to go to a party and not drink or use substances. In fact, 93% of CU Boulder students find it acceptable to not drink at a party.

Don’t mix substances

Mixing alcohol with drugs, including prescription medications can increase the risk of overdosing. It can also lead to unwanted consequences like passing out, blacking out, feeling sick or doing something your student may regret later. 

Encourage your student to only use one substance at a time and avoid accepting prescription medications or illicit drugs off the street. This can help reduce the risk of exposure to fentanyl, a synthetic opiate roughly 50x more powerful than heroin that is often pressed into pills that look like Xanax or Oxycontin.

Call for help in an emergency

Encourage your student to take care of their friends by watching for signs of alcohol poisoning or an overdose. Remind them to always call 911 for help in a drug- or alcohol-related emergency. If your student is worried about getting in trouble, you can also remind them that the CU Boulder Amnesty Policy and  can help protect students from disciplinary and legal action when they call for help in a drug- or alcohol-related emergency. 

Free naloxone is available for all CU Boulder students

Naloxone is an FDA-approved medication that can be used to temporarily reverse opioid overdoses. Naloxone is typically administered through a nasal spray and is easy to use.

Naloxone is available for free from the Apothecary Pharmacy at Wardenburg Health Center. Encourage your student to pick up a free kit before they head out on Halloween.

Preventing sexual assault

Celebrations that involve alcohol and other substances can make it easier for problematic behaviors  and unwelcome advances to go unnoticed. Here are a few things to remind your student to watch out for and bystander tips they can use to help prevent sexual assault.

Costume choice doesn’t give someone permission to ignore consent

Dressing up is a cherished tradition for many people on Halloween. This tradition can also be infused with problematic stereotypes and negative social attitudes. However, it’s important to remember that what someone chooses to wear does not give others permission to verbally harass or touch them. Like any other clothing, costumes are not an excuse to bother, harass, assault or take advantage of someone. 

Pick and choose activities

Encourage your student to decline any activities that may make them feel unsafe or uncomfortable. For instance, they may not feel comfortable going to a haunted house where people are allowed to touch or grab participants. Additionally, students may not feel safe going to a house party where they don’t know any of the hosts. Remind your student that it’s okay to decline an invitation to do something if it doesn’t feel right for them.

Watch for red flags

It’s important for students to recognize sketchy situations. Encourage your student to keep an eye on people who:

• Hit on the drunkest person at a party
• Encourage others to drink
• Try to get a drunk person alone or away from their friends
• Are persistent about pursuing someone sexually
• Violate a person’s basic boundaries (e.g. touching them without permission, pressuring them to stay at a party, etc.). 

Remind your student that people generally understand boundaries and consent, but some people aren’t interested in honoring them. It’s also important for students to know that they don’t have to assume someone has bad intentions to simply redirect that person or disrupt a situation that has the potential to cause harm or result in a negative outcome.

Don’t ditch anyone

Encourage your student to not ditch someone, even if they’ve had too much to drink and/or are unwilling to stick with plans to stay together. This decreases the likelihood that someone will have to rely on lesser known friends or strangers to get home, which can increase risk.

Trust their instincts

If something feels weird or wrong, it probably is. If your student sees a situation that feels uncomfortable or unsafe, encourage them to follow their gut. Remind them that it’s okay to make up an excuse to interject, interrupt or disrupt an uncomfortable situation. Encourage your student to brainstorm some ideas of how they may get someone out of a potentially risky situation. For instance, they may ask a friend to help them home because they don’t feel well, invite a friend to leave to get food or help them check on someone outside.

Check out the Don’t Ignore It website to explore support resources, strategies for bystanders and reporting information. 

Gentle reminders

Be prepared for possible resistance

It’s important to be prepared that your student may initially be reluctant to engage in a conversation about substances or sexual assault. They may be afraid of getting in trouble or feel as though they already know everything there is to know about these topics. It can also help to prepare for disagreements. Remember, not everyone will react how we expect or think they should react. Many of our students are trying to adjust to a significant amount of change over a short period of time. 

If you notice the conversation is getting tense or unproductive, take a break and revisit it later. Allow your student time to breathe and reflect. You can always come back to the conversation once everyone has had time to cool off. The most important thing is to stay open to listening to your student—the conversations will likely build and deepen over time.

If your student is resistant to having a conversation with you, you can always remind them about the resources on campus.

Resources for students and families

Resources for students

NightRide

This student-operated program provides free night-time transportation for all CU Boulder students, staff and faculty. 

Free naloxone

Medical Services provides naloxone free of charge to Buff OneCard holders through the Apothecary Pharmacy at Wardenburg Health Center. 

Collegiate Recovery Community (CUCRC)

The CUCRC provides support meetings, recovery-focused housing, events, leadership opportunities and more for students in recovery or interested in pursuing recovery from drugs, alcohol, eating disorders, self-harm, other addictions and unwanted behaviors.

Workshops

Health and Wellness Services offers a variety of classes, workshops and presentations available to support students as they reflect on their relationship with alcohol and other substance use.

Resources for families

Talking with College Students 91ÖÆƬ³§ Alcohol Handbook

Talking to our students about alcohol and drug use can help them clarify what choices are right for them. This free handbook providers information, tips and resources to help you have an effective conversation about alcohol and other drugs with your student.

Student Support and Case Management (SSCM)

SSCM provides support to students throughout their college career and helps them achieve their academic and personal goals.  Case managers are trained to answer questions, identify next steps and connect students with appropriate resources related to substance use as well as a range of other support options.

Campus policies

CU Boulder has a number of policies, procedures and guidelines in place to ensure the health and safety of our CU and Boulder communities. 

Campus reports

CU Boulder participates in campus- and nation-wide research efforts to collect relevant information related to substance use and other health behaviors as well as their impact on CU Boulder students.