Welcome to Counseling Services
Substance Abuse Information

NHTI is committed to providing an environment that encourages individual responsibility for one's own health and that promotes healthy, low-risk choices for students, faculty, staff, and the community-at-large. As such, we offer all on-campus activities as substance free and smoking is allowed in designated areas only. Free smoking cessation assistance is available through the NHTI Health Services Office for NHTI students, faculty, and staff.

NHTI is a participating member of the New Hampshire Higher Education Alcohol and Other Drug (NHHEAOD) Committee, subscribing to social norms theory. NHTI also has an on-campus Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug (ATOD) Coalition. The website for the New Hampshire Higher Education Alcohol and Other Drug Committee is www.nhheaod.org.

Social Norms theory is based upon the premise that students over-perceive harmful behaviors and under-perceive protective behaviors among their peers. These misperceptions have an impact on decisions to use substances. The aim of a social norms approach is to reduce misperceptions of substance use with a resulting decrease in use and consequences. More information regarding social norms theory may be obtained from The National Social Norms Resource Center at www.socialnorm.org.

Beginning in 2001, the NHHEAOD ATOD Survey has been administered every two years at NHTI. The aggregate results of this survey from 2001, 2003, and 2005 are located at http://www.nhheaod.org. According to the 230 responses received from the 2007 survey administered to NHTI commuter and residential students: 73% of NHTI students typically consume 4 or fewer drinks in a week; and 76% of NHTI students do not smoke cigarettes at all (statistics have a +/- 6% margin of error).

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What Is A Drug?

A drug is any chemical that enters the human body and can cause some alteration in the function of the body's physical or mental system.

What Is Drug Misuse?

Drug misuse is the unintentional or inappropriate use of either a social or prescription drug resulting in impaired physical, emotional or social well-being, or which is illegal.

What Is Drug Abuse?

Drug abuse is the deliberate or unintentional use of a drug that results in any degree of impairment of the user, the user's family, or society in general.

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Here are some of the characteristics of the progression of chemical dependency:

Stage 1: Warning

• Increase in tolerance of drug
• Sneaking of drug
• Blackouts
• Avoidance of reference to personal use of drug
• Guilt
• Preoccupation with using drug

• Aggressive and grandiose behaviors
• Persistent remorse
• Repeated failures to control drug use
• Repeated failures to uphold promises and resolutions
• Short periods of abstention
• Protection of drug supply
• Disapproval from others
• Avoidance of family and friends
• Self-pity
• Work and money problems
• Violent acts
• Loss of interests other than drug
• Unreasonable resentments
• Attempts to escape geographically, psychologically, or socially
• Loss of job
• Neglect of eating
• Loss of sexual drive
• First entry to hospital or other treatment center

• Decrease in tolerance of drug
• Long periods of intoxication
• Physical, mental, and moral deterioration
• Vague spiritual desires
• Exhaustion of excuses

• Admission of defeat
• Seeking of treatment
• Investment in treatment and rebuilding of family

You may find helpful resources on the NHTI Counseling Helpful Links page.

On campus, contact Health and Counseling Services in the Student Center, room 103. Health Services at telephone 271-7153. Counseling Services telephone 271-7153 or or 271-1753. AA meetings are held regularly on the NHTI campus. See the calendar in the weekly Campus Comments newsletter for times and locations.

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