Yeshiva Holds Substance Abuse Workshop for Students

On Thursday December 2nd, Dr. Efrem Nulman, University Dean of Students, conducted a workshop focused at answering student questions about all facets of drug use. Addressing thirteen riveted students during club hour, Nulman fielded inquiries ranging from the effects of smoking marijuana, to drug use in the orthodox community. Though the event attracted a relatively small number of students, Nulman still deemed the program "a success."

"I always wanted to work with adolescents, and that is the age when drug use typically starts," revealed Nulman, a psychologist who has participated in numerous studies relating to drug addiction. "If you’re going to work with this age group, you’d better know about substance abuse."

Nulman explained that he runs a workshop each year, "to make sure that students understand the risks in substance abuse." Asked if there was a drug problem among Orthodox youth, he replied that clinical studies indicated that the religious community used drugs less than the average population; however, there is more of a drug issue within the community now than ever before.

Aside from describing signs of addiction and consequences of habitual substance abuse, Nulman dealt with the broader causes of drug use. "While people in the 60’s used drugs for ‘mind expansion,’" he said, "drug use in the 90’s more often than not stems from a problem, whether social, sexual, or school related. The substances themselves are not as dangerous as the motives behind their use." Nulman also noted that "any substance, from pot to aspirin, can be extremely dangerous if used improperly. Aside from telling people not to use drugs, we try to ensure that if someone is going to use them, he does so in a way that will cause him the least amount of harm." Questioned about his opinion on the legalization of recreational narcotics, Nulman responded that a gain of social acceptability would not affect the roots of drug use. "Illegality of substances does not define the drug problem," he concluded. "What does is the user’s identity, how he uses them, and why."