Bob Tomaszewski
Staff Writer
For winter 2015, the Dyson Wellness Center has decided to focus on drug awareness and what students can do to make a difference.
“Winter is fitting because February is National Depression Awareness Month and we felt that the month of January would be appropriate to hold a drug presentation,” said Dian Radev, graduate assistant at Dyson.
The timing of Dyson’s events came down to feasibility with the speakers. The presentation, titled “You Can Make a Difference,” will be held in two parts: the first by Naperville Police Officer Shaun Ferguson on Thursday, January 22 and the second on Tuesday, January 27 with Kate Andersen, the Outreach Coordinator at Gateway Foundation Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center in Aurora.
“Another reason [for the presentations]is that people tend to think Naperville is a safe haven and they don’t really see what he [Ferguson] sees on a daily basis.” Radev said. “We might know someone who uses some form of drugs, but we might not know that. We might think that a particular person may be sad or down, but those might be the side effects.”
“Everybody can step up,” said Ferguson, who encourages students to talk with their friends if there is any suspicion of drug addiction, instead of ignoring the problem.
“A lot of folks sell drugs to support their addiction,” he said, citing heroin as one of the most common drugs that initiate this dealer-addict relationship.
Because dealers are often addicts themselves, Ferguson says that arresting dealers and addicts won’t solve the problem, as they often become repeat-offenders.
A common misconception of alcoholism, said Radev, is that alcoholism does not exist in college.
“There is a thin line and, very often, people in college cross it,” said Radev.
Radev blames this on stereotypes and trying to reach a social status, which often involves abusing alcohol. Radev says college students are often pressured by their peers to drink.
Ferguson will share more experiences at the presentation, including examples of college students who struggled to hide their addictions.
Andersen will also discuss drugs and alcohol, but her presentation will focus more on the recovery process. Gateway, a 24-hour helpline, can be reached at 877-505-4673. For more information, visit www.RecoverGateway.org.
