Students learned about campus health services and community organizations that promote a healthy lifestyle at the Natural High Fair in the Library Quad today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A natural high is anything that makes you feel good, said Sarah Henshaw, student manager of the Alcohol, Tobacco, Other Drug and Sexual Assault Education program.

“The purpose of this fair is to promote alternative activities to alcohol and drugs,” Henshaw said.

Any activity that makes a student feel good naturally is considered a “natural high,” she said.

Participants at the fair played golf, shot basketball hoops, drank non-alcoholic margarita samples, received flu vaccine shots, and played mini-games at 16 booths.

By visiting at least eight booths, students were eligible to win a bicycle. The winner will be picked randomly this evening.

Brittany Lackey, freshman apparel marketing and design major, said she learned the campus health center offers free psychological counseling, a service she plans to take advantage of.

Dellena Hoyer, community liason representative for the Azure Acres Recovery Center, said when someone is suffering from an addiction, he or she needs outside help to recover.

“You can stop taking drugs on your own, but the key is staying stopped,” Hoyer said. “Addiction is a disease, and for a lifetime, you have to treat that disease.”

Hoyer said she was addicted to crack for a long time.

“I lost my kids because of it,” she said. “I was, on average, arrested 62 times a year…Once you become an addict, you become somebody else.”

Today, she has turned her life around. She hopes to encourage more people to get early help for their addictions.

Investigator Corporal Greg Revelez with the Sacramento State University Police informed students about the variety of services the police offer, such as helping individuals who have locked their keys in their car, providing rides to the health center if a student is hurt but does not need an ambulance, and educating the campus about safety.

He said students should program their cell phones to call campus police at (916) 278-6851 for on-campus emergencies, instead of 911. A 911 call on a cell phone is routed to the California Highway Patrol, and won’t necessarily get help as fast as a direct call to campus police, he said.

Becky Wood, program specialist with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said she experienced the sad realities of drunken driving. Her father died in a car accident when she was six years old from drunken driving. Years later, her boyfriend was also killed in an alcohol-related accident.

“Life is very precious,” she said. “It’s here one minute, and gone the next?It’s unfortunate and it doesn’t have to happen.”

If students know someone who is struggling with an addiction and want help, visit the Student Health Connection located in the University Union, or visit http://www.csus.edu/hlth.

Important Phone Numbers

Associated Students Inc. Safe Rides: 1-800-Go-4-CSUSAvailable Thursday through Saturday, 10 p.m. – 3 a.m.

CSUS Student Health Center: (916) 278-6461

CSUS Psychological Counseling Services: (916) 278-6416

Campus Police (non-emergency): (916) 278-6851

Lacey Waymire can be reached at [email protected].