Student Health clinics will be closed for winter break from Monday, December 23, 2024 through Wednesday, January 1, 2025. For urgent concerns while clinic is closed, please click on the After-Hours tab below.

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Substance Use

University Student Health Services > Patient Resources > Substance Use

Quitting Tobacco & Vaping

  • Students can request a 30-minute appointment at Student Health to discuss tobacco cessation strategies and treatments.  
  • Student Health also offers the following patient education brochures, which provide an extensive list of resources and tips for quitting: Smoking Cessation - Quit Plan and Medications and Smoking Cessation - Helping Others.
  • For info about free online resources, texting programs, and apps, like quitSTART, visit cdc.gov/tobacco/how2quit.htm.
  • Use the QuitGuide app to help you understand your smoking patterns and build skills to become smoke-free.
  • The Truth Initiative offers a variety of quit resources for cigarette use and vaping.  Examples include:
    • This Is Quitting is a free quit-vaping text messaging program for teens and young adults, with strategies and support from real quitters.  Free expert counseling is also available.
    • BecomeAnEX is a free, digital quit-smoking plan and online community of thousands of smokers and ex-smokers developed in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic.  Research has shown that following the BecomeAnEX quit plan quadruples a tobacco user's chance of quitting.
  • 1-800-QUIT-NOW offers free phone consultations and support for smoking cessation. Those who use this free resource are more likely to quit successfully.
  • VCU Research Studies: Students who use electronic cigarettes daily are needed to participate in a vaping research study that requires multiple lab visits.  Compensation will be provided.  For more information, contact Alison Breland, PhD, at abbrelan@vcu.edu or (804) 827-3562 or visit http://cstp.vcu.edu/studies.

Alcohol & Other Drug Use

VCU RecWell

RecWell Health Promotion offers support and resources to students with questions or concerns about alcohol and/or drug use.  Examples include:

  • Free online self-assessment with immediate anonymous feedback.
  • Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) and Cannabis Screening and Intervention for College Students (CASICS).  Each two-part education program includes an online assessment followed by a 30-minute individual support session with a health educator or a clinician from University Counseling Services.

VCU Recovery Support

Rams in Recovery is VCU's Collegiate Recovery Program which works to support students in all stages of recovery.  To connect or learn more, email recovery@vcu.edu, call Tom Bannard at 804-828-1663, or check out the Rams in Recovery facebook page.  Examples of resources offered include:

Patient Education Brochures