Ohio State will require incoming first-year and transfer students to take an educational course that focuses on drugs and alcohol starting this fall. Credit: Jack Westerheide 

Ohio State will require incoming first-year and transfer students to take an educational course that focuses on drugs and alcohol starting this fall.

University President Kristina M. Johnson announced in a universitywide email Tuesday that the online educational program will cover drug misuse prevention, prescription drug abuse prevention and mental wellness. Students must take the course in order to register for classes, Johnson said. 

According to a news release, the modules will teach students about the recent uprise in opioid overdoses on college campuses. Students can access the course through Buckeyelearn. 

This program comes after three Ohio State students were hospitalized after an off-campus overdose in May. The overdoses caused two fatalities. At that time, fake Adderall pills laced with fentanyl were found around Ohio State’s Columbus campus which caused an increase in overdoses and hospitalizations, according to Columbus Public Health. 

According to a 2018 Ohio State study, about 16 percent of students admitted to misusing stimulants — drugs that speed up brain activity — including Adderall, Julie Teater, an Ohio State psychiatrist, said. These drugs can cause side effects that can impair cognitive abilities if mixed with alcohol or not prescribed, she said. 

Shawnté Elbert, associate vice president for health and well-being within the Office of Student Life, said in the release data shows a higher need for education around the misuse of alcohol and drugs.

“These educational models are a best-in-class opportunity to help prepare our students for a safe and healthy Buckeye experience,” Elbert said in the release. 

According to a fall 2021 National College Health Assessment, around 67 percent of the 23,600 respondents said they consumed alcohol. Around 36 percent said they took non-prescribed cannabis and 6.5 percent reported that they take non-prescribed stimulants, such as Adderall. 

Ohio State currently requires incoming freshmen to take courses on sexual misconduct and hazing. 

The course is available to any student who would like to take it, Johnson said.