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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In the Mix with AOD: Season One

Peer pressure is often the culprit at social gatherings. Students heading into a new semester of school would like to form new connections and friendships, but sometimes students feel the need to drink to be part of a group as alcohol is an easy solution. Here we’ll share details on how to say no and build strategies to do so.

Marijuana use is on the rise within the college environment especially for students aged 18 to 25. As Michigan legalized recreational use of marijuana, there’s rising motivations to use the substance, such as, it serves as a getaway from mental stress, used for boredom/experimentation purposes, and social pressures. Today’s episode will detail more about the possible effects of using marijuana and the financial costs of buying the product.

Drinking is the first activity that comes to mind when hitting the “adult age” of 21. Typically, turning 21 happens in college as there’s a new rite of passage of becoming an emerging adult. Binge drinking is the most common activity. This episode will help students make choices when turning 21, what to expect at a bar or restaurant when ordering drinks and go over the types of alcoholic drinks. 

As the semester is coming to an end, finals, projects and paper due dates are approaching fast. It’s a stressful time for college students as one test may make or break their future. Many students could feel unprepared and not know how or what to study. This increased stress and anxiety leads to pulling all-nighters, last minute studying, and cramming in a lot of school work in a short amount of time. This can push students over the edge to where they use the “study drug” Adderall to stay focused and awake. 

Adapting to college can steer students in different directions. Whether it's adapting to a new social life or dealing with less structure and more independence, students have easier access to alcohol and possibly drugs. Mixing the two substances together may stem from partying or it's used as a relaxation tool. We'll cover commonly mixed drugs, the effects it from mixing and why students mix substances. 

2022 has begun and many people have created New Year's resolutions. For some, this means cutting down on substance use. We'll discuss how to create new habits without substances, why some habits fail, and provide example strategies. 

Money can be a struggle for some students during college. Additional costs and expenses can affect a student's financial stability. We'll look at the added costs of substances and tips on managing money. 

Mass media often influence how people shape their identity. Advanced communications like TV, music and movies allow for ease in transmission of ideas. So, when we see substances used through different mediums, our perceptions shift, making it acceptable to use. Today's episode, we'll cover how pop culture influences the use of substances through music, movies, TV, and social media.  

Any use of music or movie audio is under the protection of the Fair Use Doctrine as the clips are used for educational purposes. 

Raves and clubs often involve substance use to enhance a person's experience. Today's episode we'll discuss the rise in popularity of raves and clubs, the most used substances at them and how to be safe if attending a rave or club. 

Alcohol has been apart of human history for a long time. Often traditions like celebrations enhance the use of drinking or certain environments set social norms for alcohol. Media exposure also entices people to drink as people see their favorite celebrities consume a certain alcohol brand.

The transition from college to the workplace may prove difficult. On the season final of season two, we'll discuss "maturing out" as students may feel overwhelmed when stepping into the workforce. From a feedback to relationship standpoint, college to the workplace proves to be different. With the inclusion of substance use, habits may be carried over from college that may need moderation.