Activities, policies, and resources to address substance use on British Columbia campuses : Healthy Minds/Healthy Campuses, a community of practice to promote campus mental health

The analysis of the scan-results of existing activities on BC campuses yielded several thematic areas of action and response to substance use prevention and cessation. [...] Ideally this would be part of a larger program of monitoring students’ general mental and physical health, health behaviours and access to services and supports and of monitoring the institution’s activity in creating a health promoting campus. [...] Students have been found to overestimate the frequency and quantity of alcohol and drug use among their peers, and the perception of peers’ 16. [...] The building of such positive relationships, and with those ties, a sense of belonging, identification of caring sources of support, encouragement in opportunity to participate and contribute, development of citizenship responsibility and purpose in life, all plays a significant part in deterring students from reliance on use of substances to achieve various ends. [...] In keeping with ideas that inform community of practice development, the main focus of this initiative is the support and facilitation of creative and collaborative learning opportunities for campus community members, designed to enhance understanding and capacity in mental health promotion, the reduction of harmful substance use, and suicide prevention amongst BC post-secondary student population