“A lot of people in college will think they are just living the college lifestyle, they won’t realize until they leave that they have a problem.”

This was my brother’s warning to me about drinking before I left for college. I didn’t realize how true this would ring until I attended one of the largest party schools in the country — CU Boulder.

Let me start by saying that I am no nark (which I know makes me sound even more like a nark but hear me out): I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with substance use.

My theory, though, is that as college students (especially at CU), we vastly underestimate how quickly our substance use can turn into substance abuse.

That being said, I am also not a substance abuse expert. I am just a college student who has watched many friends quickly turn from being the life of the party into a huge liability.

When you first get to CU, going to a Friday night party seems just as imperative as attending a Monday morning lecture. After all, you are there for “the experience,” and as I illustrated in my previous column — many of us felt the pressure to make these years a nonstop thrill ride.

Drinking three or four nights a week was typical, and even those who exceeded the norm were not questioned. They were just “living the college life.”

I remember the first time I started to have concerns about a friend’s substance abuse. After confiding in one of our mutuals, I was told that I was “overreacting” and that they were just “living like a normal college student.”

Well, okay, fair enough… I suppose many college students drink four or five times a week. But that doesn’t make it a good thing. This friend in particular also didn’t seem capable of casual drinking… ever. But to many of those around me, this was an endearing personality quirk that made for hilarious anecdotes.

In another instance, I found out a friend was mixing opioids and benzodiazepines with alcohol on a regular basis – a cocktail of substances that can be lethal. Their friends were already aware of the issue and had chalked it up to a college partying phase. Offset by their apathy, I spoke with the friend in question, who revealed to me that they were in fact suicidal and needed to get help.

The normalization of this concerning behavior at CU had made the red flags and cries for help go completely unnoticed.

In a generation that embraces the mentality of “black out or back out,” how are we to know the difference between “the college lifestyle” and a substance abuse disorder or a deeper underlying issue?

Around a third of college students reported symptoms of alcohol abuse in 2024. There has been a huge surge in the use of tranquilizers and “uppers”, or X,  on college campuses — and statistics suggest 80% of us have abused alcohol at some point.

There is certainly a degree of experimentation that I think we can all agree is normal in our lives. Naturally, I have noticed that as time goes on, most of us mature out of this experimentation and embrace a more balanced lifestyle. Our brazen freshman year antics prove to be unsustainable, and we learn to appreciate moderation.

But what do we do when we look back and realize that a few of our friends got left behind? Especially when this is considered the norm at CU?

I can only speak from my position as a student to say that I think all of us could stand to do a better job of challenging this norm. Even in everyday conversations, we can work to make sure we are not normalizing glaring substance abuse as a part of our community’s culture.

During my time at CU, I’ve heard students downplay substance abuse and its dangerous consequences more times than I can count. I’ve seen people be completely apathetic to those attempting to drive drunk, and even laugh about it. I’ve watched individuals who needed help be shrugged off by their peers because their dangerous behaviors were a part of “the norm.”

We have to do better. We have to be willing to challenge this norm, display concern when necessary, and not be quick to dismiss legitimate concerns for our peers. Not only that, we have to be willing to check in even if it’s uncomfortable and risks making us look “uptight.”

Reflecting on our normalization of a dangerous culture is critical. Being diligent in checking in on each other is as well. A reflection on our substance abuse could also be fruitful.

I don’t have all the answers, but I think this is a good place to start. I think it’s important that we have a good time, but also that we have important conversations about where exactly we draw the line.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, help is available at the University of Colorado Boulder. See the following link for recovery resources.