The Initiative

BSAN aims to educate the Purdue community on substance use disorders (SUD) as both a medical condition and public health issue to ultimately help reduce stigma, a profound barrier to recovery, and decrease overall rates of SUD in the long term. 

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BSAN efforts can be classified into two broad categories. Firstly, we prepare students for necessary substance use interventions, better known as harm reduction strategies, to save lives. Our other efforts focus on combating core stigmatizing beliefs held by community members to foster empathy, thereby increasing willingness to have conversations related to SUD and encouraging those affected to reach out for help.