Before reading the article:
Do you know any students who have a serious drug habit, either painkillers or other drugs?
Do you know any students who have gotten help for a drug addiction? If so, where and how did they get help, and was there a positive outcome? Why or why not?
Now, read the article, “Opioids on the Quad,” and answer the following questions:
1. Where did Julie Linneman, a sophomore at Villanova University, get help for the drug habit that nearly killed her?
2. Who is using on-campus recovery programs, and what data exists from a survey taken by the University of Michigan about the extent of the problem?
3. What type of student tends to be most vulnerable to prescription painkiller addiction?
4. What are the details about heroin and prescription pill usage over the past decade, according to public health officials and the Kaiser Family Foundation?
5. How are states helping colleges take action to support students with prevention and recovery?
6. What do students in recovery say about their drug use in high school and college?
7. What does the University of North Carolina’s recovery program offer students, and how did Frank Allison, the head of the program, shape it into what it is today?
Finally, tell us more about what you think:
What was your reaction to the statements by students quoted in the story, and why?
Were you surprised to hear about on-campus recovery programs? What did you think about the recovery programs featured in the article and the help they offer students?
Would you seek out a college that offered a place for students to get sober or stay sober? Why or why not?
Related: Our lesson plan, Investigating the Heroin and Prescription Opioid Epidemic: A Lesson Plan