How to:

Have a conversation with your student about drinking

We are proud to offer the only evidence-based Parent Handbook for Talking with College Students About Alcohol from the Prevention Research Center at the Pennsylvania State University.

The Handbook offers tips and sample language for having a dialogue with your student. The guide also includes information and education on alcohol.

Families can find more educational information on alcohol and other drugs by going to our learn page.

OPEN staff can provide confidential assessments and personalized feedback for students who are looking to get more information on their alcohol or drug use. We can help connect them to recommended resources and explain referral options. Families and students can also go to our resources page for off-campus resources or call us at 617-373-4459 for more information.

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How to:

Have a conversation with your student about cannabis

Though cannabis use and possession are legalized in Massachusetts, it is a violation of the Northeastern University Code of Student Conduct and is prohibited on the Boston campus. Our full policy can be found here.

The research on cannabis’s impact is less well established than the research around alcohol’s impact. However, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute out of the University of Washington offers science-based information and resources for parents and families.

You can find more educational information on cannabis by going to our learn page and can find more information specific to Massachusetts state policy here.

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