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eNewsletter - April 23, 2009
College students in recovery put a new face on 4/20
Students at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT are changing the culture on campus, holding a WestConn Recovery Film Festival on April 20, advocating for sober housing and honor the peer-to-peer support that has helped them sustain their recovery. The event, organized by Connecticut Turning to Youth and Families and other organizations, was covered in the local media.
Dating back to the 1970’s the time of 4:20 and date of 4/20 has culturally been used by young people in high school or college campuses to get high. “ In the beginning 4/20 was a good time, mostly because others were drinking like me. In the end I used like every day was 4/20 and all the feelings of carefree celebration were replaced by darkness and depression,” says Joe Menna, a young person in sustained recovery for nearly five years who serves on the Board of Directors of Connecticut Turning To Youth and Families. Menna explains, “ Thanks to peer-to-peer recovery support today I am a college student on the deans list rather than a criminal on the court docket. My future is bright and I can't wait to see what happens next.”
College isn’t the easiest place to stay sober on any day, not just April 20th. “As a college student, alcohol was so easily accessible and drinking so accepted that it was an obvious choice to jump on the bandwagon, ” says Sean Duggan Josephs a young person who is now in sustained recovery from drugs and alcohol for over two years. Sean and other young people in recovery feel that having positive peer-support focused on sobriety has eliminated the isolative feelings that come hand-in-hand with drug and alcohol problems.
"I have been sober since July 2005; I thought my life was over when I first stopped drinking and using drugs. With the help of peers, family, mentors, and spirituality my life has just begun!” says Kiley Morrison a student in sustained recovery for over four years since age twenty-two, “Today, I can be a part of a clean and sober 4/20 and help young people see there is life without drugs and alcohol." Youth helping youth stay sober through peer-based support is a growing trend on WestConn’s Campus and in high schools and other colleges across the country.
Supporting and raising awareness for peer-to-peer recovery support on campus was just one part of the event that has been planned and sponsored by Connecticut Turning To Youth and Families and a local coalition. Sober students are coming together with WestConn’s CHOICES office to advocate for accessible sober housing options. “Students who want to live in a residence hall without the negative influences of alcohol and drugs should be able to have that. Some students may be in recovery, some may just want to live a substance free lifestyle, some are very serious students and don’t want to have to be negatively impacted by others partying,” says Sharon Guck, Coordinator of The Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Program at WestConn. Guck states, “Whatever their reasons we will work to make substance free housing a reality for students.”