Many fraternities and sororities sit along 15th Avenue in the University District. The Greek Programming Board is offering presentations and tool kits for harm reduction for Greek life students. Credit: Lantern Photo File
The Ohio State Greek Programming Board is bringing the principles of harm reduction to students in Greek life at Ohio State, offering presentations and toolkits at events on campus.
Harm reduction — a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use, according to the National Harm Reduction Coalition — led a College of Pharmacy graduate to create a kit to encourage students to engage in these activities safely. At a presentation in the Ohio Union Tuesday, students will learn about tools involved in harm reduction and receive the kits, which include naloxone, fentanyl test strips, dental dams, drink covers and a drink tracker card.
“We wanted to create this kit to distribute among Ohio State Greek Life students because studies have shown that Greek life students are at higher risk of engaging in risky, harmful behaviors,” Rosemary Mullaghy, a presenter and fourth-year in pharmacy, said. “So we wanted to just create a one-stop shop kit that they can all keep in their houses, their dorms, wherever to reduce any harm that they may encounter.”
When Ashley Swisshelm, a pharmacy graduate student at Ohio State, held the first harm reduction presentation through the board, they found about 25 percent of respondents felt embarrassed to use harm reduction resources.
“That was a big factor in why we want to have presentations at individual sorority and fraternity chapter meetings,” Mullaghy said.
In working with Kelsey Schmuhl, adviser to the project and College of Pharmacy faculty member, Mullaghy and her co-organizers were able to work off this data to bring information and resources to more students in sororities and fraternities.
“From the data that we collected, we really just saw that there was a need to kind of meet students where they are and then a nonthreatening environment where they felt comfortable, as kind of like a principle of harm reduction,” Schmuhl said.
Mullaghy said the tools offered in the kit help students stay safe in a variety of situations and activities.
“We don’t tell them they need to stop engaging in these harmful activities, we just try to give them the resources to reduce that,” Mullaghy said.
Tuesday’s event will take place in the Ohio Union’s Milestones Room from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. In the spring semester, Mullaghy and her partners will offer a presentation on Feb. 21, 2024, open to any students in Greek life.
Toolkits will be available for pick up, and students who attend will receive accreditation for their chapter.
