The use of alcohol or drugs in the workplace may also impede the employee's ability to perform in a safe and effective manner, and may result in injuries to others. Early identification and treatment of drug and alcohol abuse is in the best interests of the student, employee and the university. The short list below includes only some of the known health risks. Not all legal or illegal drugs are covered in this brief section. Alcohol is chemically classified as a mind-altering drug because it contains ethanol and has the chemical power to depress the action of the central nervous system.
Alcohol is the most frequently abused drug on campus and in society.
Depression effects motor coordination, speech and vision. In great amounts, it can effect respiration and heart rate control. Prolonged abuse of alcohol can lead to alcoholism, malnutrition and cirrhosis. Nicotine is highly addictive, whether ingested by smoking or chewing. This drug hits the brain in six seconds, and damages the lungs, decreases heart strength and is associated with many types of cancers.