From Prevention to Recovery: Addressing Substance Use and Overdose Among College Students

The ongoing overdose crisis remains a critical public health issue in the United States, especially among adolescents and young adults—a demographic that includes over 20 million students enrolled in colleges and universities nationwide. The rise of illicit fentanyl and its analogs has dramatically increased the risk of overdose, posing a new and urgent challenge for higher education institutions. In response, many colleges have expanded their efforts from traditional substance use education to incorporate comprehensive overdose prevention strategies, including widespread naloxone distribution and overdose response training. Moreover, an increasing number of states have enacted legislation requiring colleges and universities to provide access to naloxone for their campus and surrounding community, further elevating the role of these institutions in combating the crisis.Colleges and universities are uniquely positioned to serve as critical environments for health promotion, offering a broad spectrum of services ranging from prevention and screening to treatment and recovery support. These settings encounter the complexity of substance use shaped by diverse factors—social pressures, mental health challenges, academic stressors, and environmental influences—that require comprehensive, multidisciplinary approaches. Despite the growing implementation of overdose prevention programs and related health services on campuses, there remains a significant gap in the research literature documenting these efforts, their outcomes, and innovative practices.The goal of this research topic is to advance a comprehensive understanding of substance use and overdose prevention within college populations by promoting multidisciplinary approaches that span the continuum from prevention and early identification through treatment and recovery. College students represent a unique and vulnerable group facing evolving patterns of substance use and overdose risk, influenced by social, psychological, and environmental factors specific to higher education settings. This topic seeks to highlight innovative research, evidence-based interventions, and policy developments aimed at reducing overdose incidents and supporting sustainable recovery. Suitable themes for manuscripts include, but are not limited to:• Early Identification and Screening for Substance Use Disorders at Colleges and Universities• Harm Reduction Strategies in Higher Education• Campus-Based Overdose Prevention Programs: Effectiveness and Best Practices• Innovative Treatment Modalities and Access to Care for Postsecondary Students• Peer Support and Recovery Communities in the College Setting• Policy and Environmental Approaches to Mitigating Substance Use and Overdose Risk• Mental Health Comorbidities and their Impact on Substance Use and Overdose• Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Interventions for Diverse Student PopulationsWe strongly encourage the submission of work utilizing a variety of research methodologies, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods, to provide a rich, nuanced understanding of these issues. Emphasizing inclusivity and diversity, the goal is to foster collaboration among researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and campus stakeholders to identify effective strategies that address the complex challenges related to substance use on campuses. Topic editors: Christina E. Freibott, Noel Vest, Justin S. Bell Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/74095/from-prevention-to-recovery-addressing-substance-use-and-overdose-among-college-students