Parker Gavlas doesn’t drink anymore, so he gets a little anxious when his hockey team celebrates a win or gets invited to a banquet.
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies player said hockey culture and drinking go hand-in-hand.
“Party hard, play hard,” Gavlas told CBC News.
“That being said, my teammates and my coaching staff, they’re all aware of my situation and they’re very supportive,” he said.
“It’s a struggle, because at a lot of celebrations and events there’s … drinking involved. It’s definitely uncomfortable, but that’s when I can kind of lean on my supports, and they help me through that.”
Gavlas shared his journey to sobriety and his experience as a sober university student last week during Beyond the Buzz, an on-campus event hosted by the university’s Student Wellness Centre that featured speakers and education sessions about substance addiction.
“I was noticing [drinking] changing my life in a bad way, and I kind of had to make a decision to accept that I’m one of those people that can’t continue down that path,” said Gavlas , now a student in the college of education.
“That would have been pretty dark and lonely. And luckily I had a lot of support in my life and people around me that helped guide me through my recovery.”
Gavlas said that struggle brought him and his family closer, and he noticed a renewed focus on academics and athletics.
Students in grades 7 to 12 use alcohol more than any other drug, according to Health Canada’s 2021-22 survey of Canadian students on their tobacco, alcohol and drug use. One in five students — about 426,000 people — reported high-risk drinking behaviour in the previous year, while overall 39 per cent of students said they consumed alcohol over that period, the survey said.
WATCH | We asked University of Saskatchewan students what they think about drinking:
U of Saskatchewan harm reduction counsellor Chelsea Korpan-Sparks helped organize Beyond the Buzz. She said having people who have experienced addiction share their stories will show some students there is hope.
“I think that when people are struggling, they feel really, really alone,” Korpan-Sparks said.
“And so to be able to just have conversations and empower people with knowledge so they can make informed choices, that’s really the goal.”
Other students on campus touted the benefits of sober life. Olga Rivera said she’s never had a drink and wants to keep it that way.
“You make better decisions sober, you focus more on education,” Rivera said. “Whereas if you’re living the party lifestyle, you might get caught up in that life and then you lose focus on your education.”
Student athlete Santiago Lozano has also turned to sobriety after a period of heavy drinking.
“I used to have a problem with drinking. I’m now an athlete, but the drinking before that put a wall up in my life,” Lozano said.
“It didn’t let me advance and as soon as I left that behind, I got more productive. I got more into my schooling and getting better grades.”
As for Gavlas, he hopes his story will inspire students, faculty or anyone struggling with addiction.
“It’s a part of my life, and I was able to get through it and kind of show that living clean is a possibility,” he said. “It’s a wonderful way of life and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”