'Really needed that help': Substance-free housing initiative launched at the University of Calgary

Four students at the University of Calgary are part of a pilot project where they are living in a dormitory that is completely free of the temptations of drugs and alcohol.

The University of Calgary has launched an initiative to help students who are managing substance abuse.

The school says four students will be living on their own in the campus' Cascade Hall, where they can develop a supportive community, free from the triggers and temptation of drugs and alcohol.

Residence community advisors have also been assigned and there are a variety of other supports available to the students involved in the pilot.

Associate professor Dr. Victoria Burns, the organizer of the project, says it means a lot to her.

"I'm a person in long-term recovery myself, I was a long-time student, so this initiative comes from my own lived-in experience of not having any community on campus," she said.

"I couldn't reach out for help when I needed it because it was so normalized – blacking out, partying all the time.

"It got to the point where I really needed that help."

The university says according to a recent study, 11 per cent of students at the school said they've struggled with substance abuse.

There are approximately 3,000 students living in residence at the University of Calgary this year.

Plans are in the works to increase the number of substance-free spots next year.