October is National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. This nationwide observance is dedicated to recognizing the role of substance abuse prevention in creating safe and healthy communities.

Chicago is no stranger to the issue of widespread substance abuse. The city was recently confronted with a crisis-level amount of drug overdoses, bringing the pressing nature of addiction to the forefront once again. By Oct. 2, over the span of three days, 74 people overdosed on heroin bought on the West Side, according to the Chicago Tribune.

It is suspected that the atypical number of overdoses resulted from a batch of narcotics laced with fentanyl, which creates a dangerously stronger effect than expected. A similar outbreak of overdoses due to narcotics cut with fentanyl occurred in 2006, resulting in over 1,000 deaths nationwide.

Incidents like these bring to light the dangerous nature of drug use. In order to help students decrease potential harm, DePaul has resources in the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness. Kate Lower, Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist in the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness, said that the office focuses on providing education programming throughout the year on harm reduction and support for students struggling with substance abuse or addiction.

Harm reduction is an approach that takes higher risk behaviors and tries to reduce the risk so students who choose to drink, for example, can stay safe. First-year student Ellie Lovell appreciates DePaul’s policy of harm reduction when it comes to drinking.

“My high school had a zero-tolerance alcohol policy, so you would get expelled if you were caught drinking for even a first-time offense,” Lovell said. “That led to a lot of kids getting punished for expressing cries of help. I think a lot of times, drinking and smoking is rooted in social anxieties and is actually a problem. So I think harm prevention not only helps kids that are casually and socially drinking help keep themselves and their friends safe, but it also leaves room to help kids that are using that to ask for help instead of just sending them off as law-breakers and delinquents.”

For those using substances unhealthily to cope with other issues, the office also fields students’ questions about addiction or those seeking help. More personal sessions with Lower are also an option.

“I am happy to meet with students individually to offer support and resources,” Lower said.

In support of National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness has events planned for National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, which occurs Oct. 18-23. These events include a Recovery Gathering that is an informal meet and greet for all those who have a relation to substance abuse recovery, and fitness happy hour hosted at The Ray throughout the week. More information about these events can be found on the Health Promotion and Wellness at DePaul Facebook page and @healthyDePaul on Twitter.

Although most DePaul students struggling with substance abuse or addiction find long-term support at various outside recovery programs and communities, Lower also mentioned that there is an increasing interest in forming a student recovery group on campus. Lower encouraged any student with an interest to be a part of such a group for recovering students to contact her.