The 2025 Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey showed that:

• Almost 40% of students that responded do not drink alcohol, and an additional 24.8% of students that responded had not binge drank in the last 30 days. That is a combined total of around 65% of students who had not binge drank during the past 30 days.
• Almost 70% of students that responded do not use cannabis, and an additional 10% of students that responded had not used cannabis in the last 30 days. That is approximately 80% of students who had not used cannabis in the last 30 days.

These results indicate that cannabis use and binge drinking are not the norm at McMaster.  

However, we understand that Welcome Week is a time of celebration for many students, and that may involve the use of substances. We encourage you to read through this page and learn how to keep yourself and your friends safe during Welcome Week and beyond.