Substance use and misuse

The University’s smoking policy establishes a smoke free environment to protect the health of its students, employees, and visitors. There are two designated smoking areas in the vicinity of the Main University Building.

You can download the smoking sign here to remind University members and the public that smoking is not permissible within five meters of your building.

Quitting smoking is one of the most important actions people can take to improve their health. The health benefits of quitting smoking can help most of the major parts of our body, from our brain to our DNA , and reduces the risk for many adverse health effects, including poor reproductive health outcomes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.

Quitting smoking is not easy, almost everyone experiences setbacks along the way, but it can be done.

University staff may like to visit the Care first lifestyle website which outlines the key stages and steps to help change thinking and behaviour around smoking.

Help Me Quit here you will find information about stopping smoking and how to get free support if you, or someone you know, wants to stop smoking.
Telephone: 0800 085 2219

NHS Live Well offers practical, quick, and simple steps you can take straight away to quit smoking.

Quit is an independent charity whose aim is to save lives by helping smokers to stop.

Telephone: 0800 00 22 00 for free, individual, same-day advice from trained counsellors. 

Smokefree here you can find information, resources, and support to help you get ready to quit tobacco and successfully stop smoking.

The Smoking Calculator will help you to work out just how much money your smoking is costing you and how much money you could be saving.

Alcohol has a familiar role in many peoples' lives, it is used to celebrate, to socialise, to comfort, to release stress or relax. Alcohol is perceived differently to other drugs; it’s legal and socially acceptable. However, it is one of the most abused substances and its misuse can have damaging, chronic and life-threatening effects; in the UK one person every hour dies because of alcohol.

Pre-lashing, pre-drinking, pre-loading. These are terms many students will be familiar with. Is drinking too much costing you more than just your dignity?

Drinking too much and too quickly can lead to increased accidents, misjudging risky situations, loss of self-control, and more sexual and physical assaults. Drinkaware's alcohol self-assessment tool can help you identify if the amount you drink could be putting your health at serious risk.

Morning After Calculator it takes a lot longer than most people think for alcohol to pass through the body. Find out when you will be safe to drive the morning after.

How to protect your drink from being spiked worried about your drink getting spiked on a night out? Learn how to keep your drink safe and the symptoms to look out for if you think you might have been spiked.

In student life, social activity is often alcohol oriented. Student Services offer advice for students on how to responsibly enjoy nights out (or in) that involve alcohol and ways to look out for yourself, and others.

Every year the Student Union hosts a meet and mingle event during welcome week. Meet and Mingle is a non-alcohol event, giving students an opportunity to get away from the drinking scene and meet likeminded students over some nibbles and refreshments.

Concerned about your relationship with alcohol or drug use?

Use of most substances will produce noticeable signs and symptoms, these may include physical or behavioural symptoms, most likely both. How to tell if someone is using drugs will help you learn to recognise the physical or behavioural signs of drug use and may help prevent the problem from progressing further.

For students who are you are concerned about any aspects of their drug or alcohol use, the Wellbeing Team can direct students to appropriate support provision, including student counselling.

For staff who would like confidential support and advice on issues relating to drug or alcohol use, Care first counselling is available 24 hours a day, seven days week. Care first lifestyle website also provide a self-assessment tool for staff to assess the part alcohol plays in their life.

If you are concerned that you or someone you care about has a problem, support is out there. The links below to local and national organisations and helplines offer confidential advice and support on drug and alcohol use.

Helplines and charities for support and advice

Alcoholics Anonymous is concerned solely with the personal recovery and continued sobriety of individual alcoholics who turn to the Fellowship for help.

Helpline: 0800 9177 650

Email: help@aamail.org

Al-Anon in the UK and Republic of Ireland offers support to families and friends affected by someone else’s drinking.

AGRO (Anglesey and Gwynedd Recovery Organisation) is a volunteer-based organisation run by people in recovery for people in recovery. AGRO promotes recovery from alcohol and other drug problems through activity, supporting families, raising awareness, breaking down stigma.

Alcohol Change  is a leading UK alcohol charity and offers help and support, including the latest research and policy insights and a range of interactive tools to check your drinking and find out more about alcohol.

CAIS (Cyngor Alcohol Information Services) is a local charity who help people living in Wales who are having problems with addictions, mental health, personal developmen,t and employment, as well as offering assistance and information to their families and friends. You can refer yourself to CAIS in confidence by completing the online referral form 

Telephone: 0345 06 121 12, Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm.

Drinkaware provides independent alcohol advice, useful support links and tools to help people make better choices about their drinking.

Kaleidoscope North Wales Dechrau Newydd (New Start) is an integrated criminal justice and substance misuse service, operating in the Isle of Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, and Wrexham.

They provide evidence-based psychosocial support to help people break the cycle of offending and drug use, build resilience, and achieve stability in their recovery.

Telephone: 01492 556 776

National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA) provides information, advice, and support for everyone affected by a parent’s drinking

Telephone: 0800 358 3456

Email:  helpline@nacoa.org.uk

NHS Live Well provides support on reducing your drinking, where to find alcohol support and how to care for someone with a drinking problem.

Rehab Guide provide rehab services and information services in Wales.

Talk to Frank find out everything you need to know about drugs, their effects, and the law. Talk to Frank for facts, support and advice on drugs and alcohol.

Wales Drug and Alcohol Helpline signposts to local and regional services, provides help and advice for anyone in Wales wanting information and help relating to drugs and alcohol. A free and bilingual telephone helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Telephone 0808 808 2234 or text DAN to 81066