How do you think about substance use? The AOD team and featured guests discuss questions brought to the table both from our campus community and beyond. Tune in to challenge your beliefs about alcohol and other drugs, and gain expert advice on how to be safe, smart, and responsible.

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Ep 1: The A+ Pill

Everybody would love to take a pill that allows them to be smarter, faster, and all around better. Adderall is having its big moment in the spotlight... 

Everybody would love to take a pill that allows them to be smarter, faster, and all around better. Adderall is having its big moment in the spotlight as this miracle pill, but what is it actually used for? Can it actually help stave off sleep? Does it actually make you smarter? Why is a little pill such a big deal? I sat down with board certified addictionist, Dr. Bruce Baker, to find answers for these questions and talk about the world’s long-lasting love affair with amphetamines.

Ep 2: Up in Vapor

Vaping and e-cigarettes have exploded in popularity in recent years across the globe, both as a method of smoking cessation and as a trendy and discrete way to get your nicotine fix. While most countries experienced the new wave with no issue, one country saw an explosion of underage users, the United States. Across the world smoking cessation programs using e-cigarettes have had great success when medical professionals are involved in the process, at the same time the United States was experiencing a sudden and mysterious wave of illnesses that appeared to be linked to e-cigarettes. In this episode, we'll be looking at the marketing and regulations that resulted in an epidemic public health professionals still aren't sure how to handle.

3: Substances and Sex

We want to turn up the volume on safe and responsible choices when it comes to substances and sex. Tune in to hear Peer Educators at Grand Valley State University discuss topics such as risky behavior, consent, and much more!

* Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are the thoughts and opinions of those speaking. For more information, please connect with GVSU's AOD Services office, The Center for Women and Gender Equity, and RecWell.

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Ep 4: Canna-bliss?

Cannabis is having its moment in the spotlight with a multi-trillion dollar industry emerging for recreational use. Despite growing legalization however, there's not only unanswered questions about what the plant does, but who gets what access to this growing legal market.

Ep 5: Death, Taxes, and Alcohol

Alcohol is a drug that humans have used for millennia, and it's popularity hasn't waned any over the centuries. Despite knowing the health risks now, humans are drinking more than they ever have in the past thanks to the increased availability. So why don't we take them as seriously as we do other warnings?

Ep 6: Crack in the System

Coca and its products have fueled sleepless nights for centuries, but it’s refined form of cocaine has become much more than just a drug. From an ancient-anti-meal to a devastating epidemic, cocaine has become an important symbol we’ve projected our wider socio-political issues onto throughout the past century. Now with tainted supplies and the prominent role it plays in the War on Drugs, has anything changed?

Ep 7: Party Hard

A unique category transcending drug classification, party drugs have been used by generations of revelers now hoping to add to the party. From methamphetamine to MDMA to GHB, each one has spent its time in the limelight for the risks associated with them, but how do you actually take care of a friend who’s drink has been spiked? We’ll discuss the unique risks each substance carries with it and how to keep an eye out for friends and strangers you may come across at parties or events.

*This podcast will also contain a discussion of sexual assault and non-consensual drugging.

Ep 8: Opiate Opinions

In the season finale return guest, Dr. Baker, discusses the opiate crisis that he’s witnessed during his time as a board-certified addictionist. We’ll also be discussing the history of the drug, and what is missing from our current treatment options in the United States that prevent people from getting assistance in the first place.