Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD)

AOD Prevention focuses on promoting informed choices, reducing harm, understanding risks, and supporting the overall well-being of students. Education and awareness about boundaries, resources, and consent contribute to a culture of wellness.

Going upstream

  • Primary prevention focuses on going upstream and addressing issues before they start. This includes helping people avoid, reduce, modify AOD use.
  • At Marquette, our team promotes the well-being of students by providing opportunities to engage in personal and social protective factors.

What shapes student well-being

These factors indicate the likelihood of AOD use, but they are not guarantees. Protective factors work by moderating the influence of risk, reducing the likelihood of harm, and supporting healthy development.

Protective factors include

  • Strong sense of belonging and connectedness to campus and community
  • Social and emotional competence
  • Positive relationships with mentors and trusted adults
  • Participation in supervised activities and student organizations
  • Open communication with family
  • Academic engagement and sense of purpose
  • Access to campus wellness resources and support

Risk factors include

  • Peer norms that are favorable toward AOD use
  • Easy access to alcohol or other substances
  • Family history of substance use
  • Academic stress, anxiety, or depression
  • Social isolation or lack of campus connection
  • Low perception of personal risk
  • History of trauma or adverse experiences

What are the health risks?

Alcohol and other drug use can have serious short- and long-term consequences on your physical and mental health. Being aware of these risks supports informed, safer decision-making.

  • Acute intoxication
  • Mental Health
  • Long-term physical 

Acute intoxication is one of the most immediate and serious risks of alcohol or drug use. It can escalate quickly and become life-threatening. Know the warning signs:

  • Confusion or stupor
  • Vomiting while unconscious
  • Seizures
  • Slow or irregular breathing
  • Pale, bluish, or cold skin
  • Unresponsive or cannot be woken up
  • If you observe these signs, call 911 immediately. Marquette's Good Samaritan Policy protects students who seek help in good faith.
  • Worsened anxiety and depression
  • Impaired memory and cognition
  • Disrupted sleep and emotional regulation
  • Increased risk of developing alcohol use disorder
  • Liver and organ damage from chronic use
  • Weakened immune system
  • Increased risk of unintentional injury
  • Harm to the developing brain
 

 

Learn more from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): Harmful and Underage College Drinking — research-based information on health risks and prevention for college students.

Get to know the policies

To foster a campus where the community feels safe, supported, and able to engage in well-being, Marquette has clear policies regarding alcohol and other drugs. The university does not condone underage drinking and considers intoxication or offensive behavior from alcohol use unacceptable, regardless of a person's age. Alongside our campus partners, we are committed to providing engagement opportunities for students who choose not to drink, and awareness opportunities for those of legal age who choose to drink responsibly.

Marquette's standards of conduct and policies clearly prohibit the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees on university property or as part of any university activity. They outline sanctions for violations and provide safeguards under the Good Samaritan Policy.

Learn more about the standards of conduct and policies below:

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Standards of Conduct

Marquette's community expectations guide students to act with integrity, respect, and care for themselves, others, and the broader campus community. The Standards of Conduct outline behaviors that may subject students to disciplinary action.

Read the full Standards of Conduct Here →

Alcoholic Beverages Policy

Covers applicable state, local, and federal legal sanctions related to alcohol use; clearly states that the university will impose sanctions for violations; and describes the range of conduct categories and corresponding disciplinary outcomes.

Read the full Alcoholic Beverages Policy Here →

Good Samaritan Policy (GSP)

If you or someone you know needs help, call for it without fear. Students who seek emergency assistance for themselves or others during an alcohol or drug crisis will not face formal university disciplinary action for related conduct violations.

  1. Call MUPD (414-288-1911), Residence Life, or emergency services
  2. Stay with the individual until help arrives
  3. Follow up and cooperate with university officials afterward

Read the full Good Samaritan Policy Here →

Support is available 

Whether you're exploring your relationship with substances, in active recovery, or supporting a friend, support is here and it starts with one step. All Counseling Center services are free and confidential for enrolled students.

  • Recovery @ Marquette
  • Counseling Center
  • Local organizations

The Marquette Collegiate Recovery Program (CRP) offers on-campus recovery support and programming in a peer-based setting for students in recovery from substance use concerns. Recovery is defined personally — there is no abstinence requirement to connect with the program.

Support includes recovery coaching, weekly on-campus meetings, community programming, and campus and community resource navigation.

  • Weekly meetings
    • Mon — Step Study, 2 p.m. | Recovery Resource Center, Rm. 302 (students in recovery only)
    • Tue — All-Recovery Group, 5 p.m. | Recovery Resource Center, Rm. 302 (students in or interested in recovery)
    • Thu — "Young and Recovering" AA, 7 p.m. | Gesu Parish Center (open community meeting)

Location: Wellness + Helfaer Recreation, Room 302 — 525 N. 16th St.

Email: recovery@marquette.edu

Instagram: @MarquetteRecovery

Visit Recovery @ Marquette →

The Marquette University Counseling Center provides free, confidential mental health services to enrolled students, including individual counseling, group therapy, and specialized AOD counseling. Staff include a dedicated AOD counselor with expertise in co-occurring addiction and mental health concerns.

To get started, call to schedule an initial phone consultation (15–20 min). For urgent needs, walk-in crisis appointments are available during business hours. A counselor is on call 24/7 for after-hours emergencies.

  • Phone: (414) 288-7172
  • Hours: Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
  • After hours: Call main line and select option 2
  • Location: Wellness + Helfaer Recreation, 4th Floor — 525 N. 16th St.

Visit the Counseling Center →

Additional community-based recovery support is available in and around Milwaukee. The Recovery @ Marquette website maintains an updated list — the resources below are a starting point.

  • The Phoenix — Milwaukee
    • Sober active community offering free fitness, yoga, climbing, and social events to those with 48 hours of sobriety. No cost to participate.
    • Peer community
  • SMART Recovery
    • Evidence-based, stigma-free approach to overcoming addictive behaviors. Emphasizes self-empowerment and offers local and online meetings.
    • Support meetings
  • Recovery Dharma
    • Trauma-informed, peer-led recovery program rooted in Buddhist principles. Non-theistic and welcoming to all seeking recovery.
    • Support meetings
  • Alcoholics Anonymous — Milwaukee Central Office
    • 7429 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis | (414) 771-9119. Open and closed meetings available throughout Milwaukee, including on and near campus.
    • Support meetings

See full list of community resources →