WSU Policies Governing Alcohol and Other Drugs
WSU’s Drug and Alcohol Policies, including UPPM 10.19 and the WSU Standards of Conduct for Students, aim to eliminate alcohol and drug abuse, educate the University community on relevant laws and consequences, and prohibit unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs or alcohol on University-controlled property statewide.
RCW Chapter 70.160 also prohibits smoking in any WSU owned, leased, or rented public place or place of employment. WSU Pullman, WSU Spokane, WSU Tri-Cities, WSU Vancouver, WSU Everett, and CAHNRS have additional tobacco/nicotine restrictions on campus, except for cessation programs or approved research (see SPPM 6.10). Employees who violate UPPM 10.19 or SPPM 6.10 may face corrective or disciplinary action.
Refer to Safety Policies and Procedures Manual (SPPM) 6.10 and resources on the HRS Tobacco and Nicotine Free Campus Page.
Workplace Policy
WSU complies with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, providing educational and training programs and prohibiting controlled substances in the workplace, and has developed programs to prevent unlawful possession, use, and/or distribution of illegal drugs and alcohol by employees and students. Any employee who violates UPPM 10.19 may be subject to corrective or disciplinary action, in addition to penalties from violating local, state, and/or federal law. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, recommended rehabilitation, written or verbal warning, required training, letter of reprimand, censure, demotion, salary reduction, dismissal, or, in emergency situations, immediate suspension.
Student Policies
University Alcohol and Drug Policy
The WSU PD and local police enforce Washington State drug and alcohol laws, and students may also be subject to sanctions through the Center for Community Standards (CCS), which follows procedures in the WSU Standards of Conduct for Students (WAC 504-26), if a violation is reported.
The legal age to consume alcohol in Washington is 21. Those under legal age who consume alcohol violate the Standards of Conduct and WSU’s Alcohol and Drug Policy; students of legal age who drink are expected to do so responsibly.
Students are accountable to the Standards of Conduct from application for admission through the awarding of a degree, which apply to on-campus, online, and some off-campus behavior (see WAC 504-26-015 on jurisdiction).
Applicable Standards of Conduct for Students
WAC 504-26-211 Drugs and drug paraphernalia: Use, possession, manufacture, or distribution of marijuana, narcotics, or other controlled substances, and drug paraphernalia except as permitted by federal, state, and local law.
WAC 504-26-212 Alcohol: Use, possession, manufacture, or distribution of alcoholic beverages (except as expressly permitted by university regulations, and federal, state, and local laws), or public intoxication. Alcoholic beverages may not, in any circumstance, be used by, possessed by, or distributed to any person not of legal age.
University’s Expectation for Use of Alcohol
The legal age for individuals to consume alcohol in the state of Washington is 21. Those not of legal age who consume alcohol will be in violation of the Standards of Conduct and WSU’s Alcohol and Drug Policy. Students of legal age who choose to drink alcoholic beverages are expected to do so responsibly.
Students may not:
- Distribute and/or sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 21.
- Drink or possess alcohol if under the age of 21.
- Drink or possess alcohol regardless of age if alcohol is prohibited at the location. Possess, use, manufacture, distribute and/or sell drugs (marijuana, narcotics, or other controlled substance) and drug paraphernalia (pipes, bongs, scales, cigarette papers, etc.).
- Drink alcohol at a sponsored event on any University property without an alcohol license or banquet permit.
- Overconsume alcohol or be intoxicated in public.
If students are under the age of 21 or are in a location that prohibits all alcohol or drugs (including residence hall rooms, shared areas in residence halls, fraternity and sorority chapter-owned facilities that are alcohol-free), leave the area immediately. Any person who is in the room while alcohol and/or drugs are present may be in violation of the Standards of Conduct and/or the law. Even if you just walked in the room, the alcohol and/or drugs isn’t yours, you did not drink any alcohol or use any drugs and/or you are completely sober, you may still be responsible for violating University Policy. Students must comply with “no alcohol” policies if established for floors within residence halls, living groups, and/or designated residence halls.
Students are accountable to the Standards of Conduct from the time of application for admission through the actual awarding of a degree. The Standards of Conduct apply to on campus and online behavior and some off-campus behavior. For more information about jurisdiction, please visit the Washington State Legislature WAC 504-26-015 Page. For additional information regarding WSU’s alcohol and drug policy, please visit the Center for Community Standards Website.
Medical and Recreational Cannabis
In accordance with the federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989, WSU strictly prohibits the use, possession, manufacture, distribution, and/or sale of cannabis and other controlled substances anywhere on campus. It is a violation of the Standards of Conduct and University Housing Policy for students to use, possess, manufacture, distribute, and/or sell cannabis on University property, even if the student is over 21 and/or procured the cannabis through legal means.
WSU also prohibits the use of medical cannabis on campus, including all residence halls and WSU apartments; cannabis obtained for medicinal purposes cannot be stored or used there, and storage or use of drug paraphernalia is likewise prohibited. Questions about accommodation of medical conditions, including those treated with medical cannabis, should be directed to Student Accommodations and Disability Resources at 509-335-3417.
Drug and Alcohol Education Programs
Cougar Health Services (CHS) — including Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Medical Clinic Services — and WSU Health Promotions offer online and in-person substance-use services to WSU students, including individual counseling, assessment, therapy groups, workshops and outreach, confidential personalized feedback, text messaging, and consultation. These support personal efforts to maintain health and reduce health harms—including substance use/disorder—so students can achieve academic, career, and personal success. The programs are built on best practices for substance abuse in a university setting from the College Alcohol Intervention Matrix (College AIM, 2015), and comply with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA); the DFSCA report is available upon request. Select programs and targeted services are described below.
Cougar Health Services also provides free Narcan kits and fentanyl test strips, along with training on recognizing symptoms of opioid overdose, assessing appropriate care, administering naloxone (Narcan), and using fentanyl test strips.
Clinical Treatment
CAPS utilizes a generalist model of alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment: all senior clinical staff (e.g., licensed psychologists) and counselors-in-training (e.g., doctoral psychology interns, practicum students) may be referred clients with AOD issues, as these are often co-morbid with other psychological disorders, and all CAPS clinicians are able to work with AOD issues. Clinical services are generally based on student need and voluntary participation, and include:
- Alcohol and other drug use screening at intake and addressed within individual counseling sessions.
- Follow-up for WSU students following AOD-related hospitalization, in conjunction with Pullman Regional Hospital.
- Ongoing workshops/groups provided in CAPS that integrate AOD use into discussion and intervention.
- Referral to community-based services and resources.
Fraternity and Sorority Community and Residence Hall Outreach
Upon request, Health Education offers harm reduction outreach and consultation to Housing & Residence Life (HRL), individual residence halls, and Fraternity/Sorority chapter members, covering topics such as substance use emergency response, blackout and cognitive impact, mixing alcohol and other substances, academic impacts, and sleep.
CHS, CAPS, and Health Education also provide annual training to Residential Education Directors (REDs) and Residence Advisors (RAs) on the link between substance use, mental health, and academic success, and offer training to Fraternity and Sorority leadership and to CCS staff and student employees upon request.
3rd Millenium Educational Programs
For first-time cannabis and alcohol referrals to CCS, students complete an online educational course from third-party provider 3rd Millenium. These empirically based courses target risk reduction strategies and behavioral change.
IMPACT
IMPACT is an education service for students referred by CCS for repeated substance use violations. It administers a substance abuse education program focused on harm reduction strategies, motivational interviewing, and brief intervention, and refers students to CAPS for a one-on-one meeting with a licensed mental health provider.