After Trachtenberg finished speaking, Dobbs thanked him for his time and exclaimed, "Amen, brother" to the outgoing 68-year-old university president.
Though administrators might suggest harsh punishments for drug and alcohol violations, GW has tried to educate students through campus health services, Trachtenberg said. The University offers a medical amnesty policy for students who over-drink and require medical attention for first-time offenses.
Experts mentioned that the repercussions of substance abuse include increased incidents of assaults and rapes on campus, as well as health risks and death.
Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said young adults' brains, which undergo great physical changes during adolescence, can be damaged by drugs. The earlier children abuse substances, the longer lasting the detrimental effects will be.
"Drug abuse and addiction are fully preventable. How do you do that? That's the challenge. You educate," Volkow said. "Use everything you have to educate. It's not just about telling kids don't take drugs, it's about telling them all of the other things that they can do with their lives."
Dobbs spoke with three young men who are members of Alcoholics Anonymous, who have overcome their addictions. All three men discussed their battles with an array of illicit substances that often began at a young age, one as early as 9 years old.
Dobbs featured a video clip from a Minnesota high school where students who battle substance abuse receive counseling and 12-step education programs. Students at Sobriety High live by the mantra "progress, not perfection."
Experts on the panel pointed to several methods for prevention, such as parent involvement and early education.
U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.), a recovering alcoholic, advocated for changes in the American healthcare and insurance system for rehabilitation treatment. He said no one should be turned away from treatment facilities.
Part of the problem, Dobbs said, is that insurance companies and medical practitioners don't view addiction as a disease, though it is technically categorized as such by the American Medical Association.
John Decker, a senior at the University of Maryland who attended the show, said Ramstad made strong points for treatment.
"We spend too much money on incarceration instead of treatment," Decker said. He added that when the police get involved in an individual's substance abuse, the person then has a legal problem on top of his health problem.
Freshman Katie Reyzis said Dobbs' discussion didn't offer new solutions to the long-standing substance abuse problem. She said, "The prevention idea was over-exaggerated."
Though administrators might suggest harsh punishments for drug and alcohol violations, GW has tried to educate students through campus health services, Trachtenberg said. The University offers a medical amnesty policy for students who over-drink and require medical attention for first-time offenses.
Experts mentioned that the repercussions of substance abuse include increased incidents of assaults and rapes on campus, as well as health risks and death.
Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said young adults' brains, which undergo great physical changes during adolescence, can be damaged by drugs. The earlier children abuse substances, the longer lasting the detrimental effects will be.
"Drug abuse and addiction are fully preventable. How do you do that? That's the challenge. You educate," Volkow said. "Use everything you have to educate. It's not just about telling kids don't take drugs, it's about telling them all of the other things that they can do with their lives."
Dobbs spoke with three young men who are members of Alcoholics Anonymous, who have overcome their addictions. All three men discussed their battles with an array of illicit substances that often began at a young age, one as early as 9 years old.
Dobbs featured a video clip from a Minnesota high school where students who battle substance abuse receive counseling and 12-step education programs. Students at Sobriety High live by the mantra "progress, not perfection."
Experts on the panel pointed to several methods for prevention, such as parent involvement and early education.
U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.), a recovering alcoholic, advocated for changes in the American healthcare and insurance system for rehabilitation treatment. He said no one should be turned away from treatment facilities.
Part of the problem, Dobbs said, is that insurance companies and medical practitioners don't view addiction as a disease, though it is technically categorized as such by the American Medical Association.
John Decker, a senior at the University of Maryland who attended the show, said Ramstad made strong points for treatment.
"We spend too much money on incarceration instead of treatment," Decker said. He added that when the police get involved in an individual's substance abuse, the person then has a legal problem on top of his health problem.
Freshman Katie Reyzis said Dobbs' discussion didn't offer new solutions to the long-standing substance abuse problem. She said, "The prevention idea was over-exaggerated."
