Middlesex DA Tackles Campus Substance Abuse at College Safety Symposium

NEWTON, MA – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan partnered with local law enforcement officials, medical professionals and campus administrators on Monday to host her annual College Safety Symposium at Boston College.

Ryan tackled the issue of substance misuse and addiction on college campuses. With 26 colleges and universities in Middlesex County, the forum was an opportunity to spread awareness and educate safety officials about county-wide health risks and promote collaboration across campuses.

"We know that young people are using and misusing substances on college campuses," Ryan said in a statement. "While our ultimate goal is prevention, we also want to help our partners on college campuses to identify the signs of substance misuse and ensure they have the tools they need to most effectively intervene with the students at their academic institutions."

The conference focused on the challenges college students face that can ultimately lead to developing a substance abuse disorder, namely no parental oversight, depression from homesickness, difficulty adjusting to a new setting and the pressure to succeed academically.

Speakers also focused on student-athletes, who may be more susceptible to prescription drug misuse when recovering from sports-related injuries; the prevalence of drugs such as Adderall, often used to enhance academic focus; and polysubstance use, the mixing of two or more substances, which is a significant risk factor for a fatal overdose.

Speakers at the event included John King, executive director of public safety and chief of police at Boston College; Brian W. O’Connor, MD, Middlesex Recovery, P.C.; Scott E. Lukas, PhD, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School; Amy Yule, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School; and Mike Duggan, CIP, Wicked Sober.

"Yesterday's Campus Safety Symposium brought together campus police departments, student services and university health professionals to learn the risks that students in college communities can encounter due to the potential for drug and alcohol abuse during college years," King said in a statement. "I would like to thank District Attorney Ryan and all of speakers for this informative and important event."

In 2016 alone, state police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office responded to 251 fatal overdoses – a 36 percent increase from 2015, according to the DA's office. Compared to four years ago, that number is up a staggering 286 percent.

This is Ryan's third annual Campus Safety Symposium. Past symposiums have focused on responding to reported sexual assaults on campus and Title IX.

Photo (L-R): Mike Duggan, CIP, Wicked Sober, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, John King, Executive Director of Public Safety & Chief of Police, Boston College

Photo via Middlesex DA's office