As the fall semester and college football season gets underway, University of Mississippi addiction specialists are reminding students to be mindful of alcohol and drug use.
“Society normalizes partying, drinking, using drugs as part of the college experience,” said Alysia Lajune, program manager for the William Magee Center for Alcohol and Other Drugs and Wellness Education. “It’s part of the boxes we feel we need to check when we go to college.”
A spring 2025 survey from the university’s William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing found that more than half of undergraduate students in Mississippi reported using harmful substances in the past month. About 53% said they drank alcohol, 20% reported using cigarettes or e-cigarettes, and 15% said they used recreational drugs.
While alcohol remains the most commonly used substance, drinking among college students has been declining nationally. According to the Monitoring the Future report, alcohol use is at its lowest recorded rate, with 71.5% reporting use in the past year and 63% in the past 30 days.
September is Recovery Awareness Month, and the Magee Center is promoting harm reduction strategies and alternatives for students on campus. Counselors recommend several safer drinking practices, such as alternating alcohol with water, eating before and while drinking, avoiding binge drinking, and arranging safe transportation through a designated driver or ride-share.
Students are also advised to avoid mixing alcohol with marijuana or medications and to replenish electrolytes with drinks such as Gatorade or Liquid IV.
The Magee Center also offers alternatives on game days. Its Hydrate Tailgate provides bottled water and Liquid IV packets in the Grove during football games. An alcohol-free tailgate is also available for students in recovery or those choosing a sober lifestyle.
“We offer an alcohol-free tailgate in the Grove for those in recovery or choosing to live a sober lifestyle to have a place where they’re not surrounded by alcoholic beverages,” Lajune said.
