As students progress in their academic pursuits, they also progress in their lives. Sometimes this can unwittingly lead to issues with drugs and alcohol as they first experience total independence and, oftentimes, high expectations from many different facets of their lives. Crossroads works to aid in the spread of smart decision-making in terms of using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

Crossroads at UNC Wilmington works to achieve many goals. Preventing and reducing high-risk drinking and drug use, engaging with students to encourage leadership in the area of substance abuse prevention and providing early identification or intervention of substance abuse for students are just a few of the many things this organization works towards.

In their mission statement the group states that they are “dedicated to the advancement of thoughtful and healthy decision-making regarding the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.”

Crossroads does not offer on-going counseling, but they can help to provide information and connect students with campus and community resources. Much of what Crossroads does is provide information, while UNCW’s Counseling Center is the on-campus resource for free substance abuse assessments and treatment services if they are necessary.

Crossroads is not just about learning about drugs, it can also be a place to go and get help on taking action when you do not know what to do. Crossroads can help provide options of where to go from situations such as being concerned about a friend and feeling uncomfortable bringing it up.  

“If you are concerned about a friend you can certainly come into Crossroads and speak with one of our professional staff members,” states the FAQ portion of their webpage. 

From there, their offices would assist students in taking the next step, whatever it may be, to find the right options for the parties involved. 

Aside from working to help UNCW Seahawks help themselves as well as others, Crossroads also reaches out to the local community. With over 1 million dollars in funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and local and state funds, Crossroads has developed an Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention Program. This is an evidence-based program that works towards preventing and delaying substance abuse not through scare tactics, but through legitimate facts.

“I actually participated in Crossroads when I attended Ashley High School here in Wilmington,” said an anonymous UNCW student. “You can imagine my surprise when I found myself there a few years later telling someone I needed help to get through what I realized was the start of a drinking problem.”

Despite finding their self in the Crossroads office, this student could not give enough praise to the program and how it helped them.

“Honestly, without the knowledge I got from doing that program at a young age, I do not know if I could have admitted to myself that I had the start of a serious problem. Crossroads set me up to be able to identify my own habits,” they said.

Aside from their personal struggle, this student said they know quite a few students the program has helped both in their high school and college careers.

“A lot of people’s parents never talked to them about this stuff or they did not explain it well enough. Crossroads makes it accessible, easy and thought-provoking to learn about drugs and what they do to your body,” they stated of the organization.

Crossroads sponsors many events around campus. Every Thursday they have free games at Sharky’s Game Room, they plan to sponsor UNCW’s Ca$h Cab (coming soon to campus) and they have “Monthly Birthday Parties” on campus where they give out free cupcakes.

Crossroads also works with The Ripple Effect, which is UNCW’s peer support group for students who have been affected by addiction in their families and close relationships.

Crossroads aims to not only inform students before they start using drugs and alcohol, but also after. The organization consistently works to keep people educated as well as create an environment for those who need help to be able to reach out for support, knowledge or assistance.