The Virginia Higher Education Substance Use Advisory Committee (VHESUAC) is pleased to report on coordination of college alcohol and other drug prevention programming in the Commonwealth of Virginia. VHESUAC partners include public and private institutions of higher education, student leaders, state agencies, and statewide organizations committed to reducing student substance misuse and promoting effective policies and practices.

VHESUAC aims to create an environment and culture that values student health and safety and supports prevention and intervention efforts on campuses across the state. VHESUAC hopes to accomplish this by promoting a collaborative and coordinated effort among Virginia’s colleges and universities to advocate for prevention programming and treatment services, implement research-based approaches, and facilitate a network for information sharing and action planning.

Virginia ABC Education and Prevention coordinates VHESUAC. The structure includes two tiers: the Executive Council and Workgroup.

During this reporting period, Executive Council and Workgroup members met to launch the Virginia Higher Education Substance Use Prevention Strategic Plan. They also initiated discussions on implementation of the state-wide initiatives identified within the strategic plan, including the identification of strategies and arguments to encourage campus participation in the strategic plan. This report intends to detail these meetings, as well as explain the formation of VHESUAC, its current structure and its vision moving forward.