UT-Austin Hopes To 'Shift' Attitudes On Campus Drug Use

AUSTIN, TX — The University of Texas at Austin on Tuesday plans to launch SHIFT, an initiative aimed at changing the culture of substance use on campus, officials said.

The Sept. 24 kickoff for the initiative is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 pm. at Perry-Castañeda Library Plaza, 101 E. 21st St. Students, faculty members and staff members are invited to the event to write their thoughts on substance use while enjoying giveaways. Parking is available at the Brazos Garage.

Statistics related to drug use on campus speak to the initiative's need. According to the Center on Addiction, the national trends are clear: Binge drinking among students has remained at around 30 percent to 40 percent for the past 30 years, and the use of cannabis and prescription drugs (especially stimulants) is steadily on the rise. SHIFT is ready for a new conversation, UT-Austin officials said in a prepared statement.

The SHIFT name of the effort stems from the aim at “shifting” the culture of substance use on college campuses, university officials explained. Yet this is no mere acronym, officials noted, but a bold call to action.

"Through the unique and groundbreaking synthesis of the School of Undergraduate Studies and the Division of Student Affairs, SHIFT engages students holistically both inside and outside the classroom," officials wrote. "From classroom discourse on decision-making, to the formation of partnerships both on and off campus, to cultivating fresh ideas from the students themselves, SHIFT’s six innovative pilots are changing the way students think about and engage with substances on a daily basis."

The initiative creates a culture of care centered around student well-being as a way to reduce substance misuse and its harms, officials said. SHIFT is funded through a gift from the Hildebrand Foundation.